Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul signed for a final-round 65 to reach 22-under and win her fourth career LPGA Tour victory at the CME Group Tour Championship.
Thitikul began the day tied for the lead with Angel Yin at 15-under, and quickly took a one-shot lead over the American after picking up a birdie on the par-5 1st hole to move to 16-under. She extended her advantage to two by making another birdie on the par-4 3rd hole to climb to 17-under, but she gave that shot right back after bogeying the fourth to drop back to 16-under.
Yin tied Thitikul at 16-under with a birdie on the par-4 4th hole, and that’s where things stayed until the Thailand native birdied the par-4 7th hole to once again lead Yin by one stroke at 17-under. Yin evened the score with a birdie of her own on eight to move to 17-under, and she then took the lead with a birdie on the par-4 10th hole to get to 18-under and one ahead of Thitikul.
Yin got to 19-under and two ahead of Thitikul with a birdie on the 12th hole, but Thitikul answered with a birdie on 13 to once again sit within one stroke of Yin’s lead. Both players made birdies on the par-5 14th hole, putting Thitikul one back of Yin at 19-under with the American leading the way at 20-under.
After Yin birdied the par-3 16th hole to get to 21-under and sit two shots ahead with two holes to play, it felt like Thitikul might be out of the conversation. But the 21-year-old dug deep, determined to at least get into a playoff with Yin at the end of the final round.
Thitikul found the green in two on the par-5 17th hole and buried her resulting eagle try to move to 21-under, now tied alongside Yin who missed a birdie putt inside five feet on 17 to remain at 21-under. With just the 18th hole left to decide a champion in regulation at Tiburón Golf Club, both players found the fairway off the tee, and Thitikul played first, knocking her approach shot to within five feet and putting some pressure on the veteran to match her gutsy approach.
Yin found the green with her second shot, putting it approximately 25 feet away from the hole to give herself a chance to roll in another lengthy birdie putt and challenge Thitikul. Yin’s birdie effort just grazed the edge of the hole, and she tapped in for par to post at 21-under, leaving Thitikul with a short birdie try to get to 22-under and win the tournament.
Thitikul lined up her putt, stepped over it and confidently stroked it, putting her hand to her mouth and looking to the sky in disbelief when the ball hit the bottom of the cup, completely shocked that she had just won the CME Group Tour Championship.
“I don’t know what happened to me on 17 and 18. I really make a birdie on 17, which is giving me a good chance. But having eagle, it’s more than I can ask for,” said Thitikul. “And then hitting really, really good second shot on 18 and hole the putt, it’s just like, all the hard work that I’ve been, it’s just like pay off.”
As part of the victory, Thitikul will be taking home a $4 million check courtesy of CME Group, one of the largest single prizes in all of women’s sports. But that isn’t the only seven-figure amount of money that the 21-year-old has earned this week at the CME Group Tour Championship.
It was officially announced on Tuesday that, after the conclusion of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Thitikul had won the 2024 Aon Risk Reward Challenge, a season-long award that comes with its own $1 million prize. And after her win on Sunday at Tiburón Golf Club, Thitikul’s single-week earnings at the season’s last event now total $5 million, which is more than some players will ever make in their careers.
“Like I said, my million is good enough, at Aon. I think I’m at the point that I’m not really thinking about the prize money that much,” said Thitikul. “Like Lydia Ko said at Grant Thornton, we’re not here for the prize money. We here for growing the game of golf more.”
While Yin was disappointed to not earn her second career LPGA Tour victory after such an incredible week of golf in Naples, Fla., the 26-year-old’s runner-up result is still her best of the 2024 season and will see her earn a $1 million second-place prize, the only other seven-figure runner-up check given out on the LPGA Tour besides the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally. But for Yin, Sunday’s final result and the entire week at the CME Group Tour Championship was about more than just the money.
“That I’m pretty awesome,” said Yin when asked what she learned about herself this year. “That I cannot walk and finish second. I’ve learned that I just need to believe my myself, and that’s what I did. That’s why I had my friend on the bag. And then that’s it. Just need to keep doing that, believe in myself.”
Two-time CME Group Tour Championship winner Lydia Ko fired a 9-under 63 to finish in solo third at 17-under overall, while three-time 2024 winner Ruoning Yin came fourth after firing a 4-under 68 in the final round. Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda tied for fifth at 15-under alongside Narin An of the Republic of Korea, and defending champion Amy Yang finished in a tie for eighth with a 72-hole score of 13-under.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue claimed Vare Trophy honors, becoming the first Japanese player to win the award, and Mao Saigo took home the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award. Thitikul has also earned the Money Title with $6,059,309 in season earnings and is the 2024 Race to the CME Globe champion after her win at Tiburón Golf Club.
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