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Jeeno Thitikul’s history-stopping comeback win meant something more

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The LPGA’s history run of parity came to an end Sunday in Shanghai at the hands of Jeeno Thitikul, which is exactly what both the World No. 1 and the LPGA needed.

Entering the Buick LPGA Shanghai, the LPGA had 26 unique winners in 25 events. There had been zero multi-time winners this season. Nelly Korda, who won seven times last season, is so far winless despite being statistically on the same level. Having that many unique winners shows the depth of the LPGA. The tour is loaded with talent and is only getting deeper as more young talents blossom. But for a tour hoping to attract more eyeballs, a dominant player might be needed.

That might be Korda. She’s still women’s golf’s top star, and although the wins haven’t come this season, her play hasn’t tailed off. But there’s room for another star to emerge, and Thitikul, who overtook Korda as World No. 1 in August, has the game and personality to become the lead force.

But winning is the key ingredient.

Thitikul won earlier this season at the Mizuho Americas Open. Despite not securing her first career title, she has been a constant at this year’s majors. She was in the hunt at the Chevron before fading on the weekend. She lost a duel to Minjee Lee at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and fell in a playoff to Grace Kim at the Amundi Evian Championship. She entered this week with runner-up finishes in her previous two starts, including at the Kroger Queen City Championship, where she four-putted on the 72nd hole to hand the trophy to Charey Hull.

There’s a world where Thitikul has grabbed multiple trophies this season, including a major. Instead, she arrived in Shanghai with just one victory and was still licking her wounds from the collapse at the Kroger.

That brings us to Sunday, where Japan’s Minami Katsu entered the final round at Qizhong Garden Golf Club with a two-shot lead over Thitikul and Lee. A win by Katsu would set the LPGA record for most unique winners in a season at 27. Katsu extended her lead to four after 13 holes and appeared to be headed for her first career win.

But Thitikul had other plans.

The World No. 1 birdied 14, 15 and 16 before adding an eagle at 17 to draw level with Katsu. Katsu had a chance to win with a birdie on 18 but her putt slid by the hole to send the tournament to a playoff. Thitikul and Katsu traded pars for the first four playoff holes before the World No. 1 stuffed her approach on the fifth playoff hole to three feet. Katsu’s approach came up short of the green, and her tournament-extending chip didn’t drop, which allowed Thitikul to claim the title.

Thitikul earns LPGA Shanghai title in playoff

After the win, Thitikul acknowledged that her disastrous four-putt at the Kroger had been weighing on her. A redemptive win in Shanghai had a cleansing feeling for Thitikul.

“What happened on the last event [was] definitely still in my mind, but like to be able to prove myself again this tournament, which is … like a dream come true and you know, I’m not carrying a thing on my shoulder,” she said.

The Thai star has shown impressive perspective early in her career. It’s a pressure-relieving perspective that is the product of humble beginnings. Thitikul sharpened her skills on the driving range in Ratchaburi, Thailand, a small town not far from Bangkok that doesn’t have its own course. Thitikul has said her professional goal has been to make enough money to provide her family with a good life, and she believes she has already accomplished that goal. While her talent suggests she can write her name in the stars, her goals have always remained more earth-based. At the FM Championship, Thitikul, who had recently overtaken Korda as World No. 1, said she didn’t think she was “that good.”

To her, the rest is the rest. She is already amazed by the success she has found. She wants more but claims that she’ll be happy with whatever comes.

That’s both the naivete of youth and a humility born from learning the game on a driving range. Thitikul’s love of the game shines in every step she takes on the course and every post-round interview she gives. She has immense gratitude for how far she has made it and a tireless work ethic to keep climbing. But she also appears free from the weight of expectations.

“Every major, I just want to make the cut, to be honest,” Thitikul said ahead of the KPMG Women’s PGA when asked if she felt pressure to win her first major. “It would be really great to win it, and definitely I can tell that it would be like everyone dreams to win a major. To me, what I have now under my belt, I’m pretty happy with all I’ve achieved. If I can get it, it would be great, but if not, I don’t have anything to regret.”

But Sunday in Shanghai, the World No. 1 showed a different side. After her comeback win over Katsu, Thitikul admitted the pain of the loss at the Kroger. That it stung her and drove her, such is the case with all elite competitors.

“[I] definitely cried a lot. Not going to lie, cried quite a lot,” Thitikul said. “And then I do have like, you know, a really amazing off week, which is we spend time with no golf in Canada, and then just like remind me that whatever happened, it’s in the past. And then I’m a human, which I make mistakes for sure, and then everyone does.

“I just kept [telling] myself whatever [happens] in dramatic events, not just Cincinnati, but in this year, I just told myself that I need to earn it by myself. The winner is just only one player and then I have to earn it by myself, and then when it’s my time, I will want to be in that moment again and did it by myself again.”

They were the tears of a world-beating talent with a competitive fire to be great. A sign that a grounded perspective doesn’t mean she is complacent. Jeeno Thitikul knows she can be great and has plans to make that vision a reality. Whether or not it comes with a burden is up to her.

But first, she had to wash away the pain of her previous collapse.

With a history-stopping comeback, Jeeno Thitikul found redemption and showed that more is on the horizon.

“I have nothing to be afraid of anymore,” Thitikul said Sunday in Shanghai.

Jeeno Thitikul completes dramatic rally with five-hole playoff win at LPGA Shanghai

SHANGHAI — Jeeno Thitikul came from four shots down with five holes to play to force a playoff with Minami Katsu, before producing another extraordinary shot on the fifth playoff hole to claim the LPGA Shanghai and become the first two-time LPGA tournament winner of the season on Sunday.

Top-ranked Thitikul’s 63 was the round of the day and included seven birdies and an eagle. The Thai player’s 24-under 264 closed what had appeared to be a comfortable margin for overnight leader Katsu of Japan, who had started the day two shots ahead and extended that to four after the 13th.

But the Thai player reeled that in with birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th, before an incredible eagle with the ball bouncing along the mottled 17th green of Qizhong Garden Golf Club in Shanghai to draw level.

Katsu (65) could only respond with a birdie of her own at the 17th, but had another birdie chance on the final hole to claw back the victory only for the ball to slide past the hole and forcing the playoff.

Pars through the first four playoff holes, rotated between the 18th and the 10th, included Katsu having two birdie putts to win only to narrowly miss the hole on both.

On the fifth playoff hole the deadlock was broken as a brilliant approach by Thitikul placed the ball 3 feet away, while Katsu’s second shot fell short of the green at the par-4 18th.

Katsu’s chip for birdie was impressive but missed, leaving Thitikul a simple birdie putt to close out a remarkable victory nearly two years after losing in an epic nine-hole playoff to Celine Boutier at the LPGA Malaysia.

From disappointment to delight

It was Thitikul’s second win of the season after claiming the Mizuho Americas Open in May and helped ease the disappointment of her inexplicable four-putt meltdown on the final hole at the Kroger Queen City Championship last month.

“What happened on the last event (was) definitely still in my mind, but like to be able to prove myself again this tournament, which is … like a dream come true and you know, I’m not carrying a thing on my shoulder,†she said.

Minjee Lee, who won her third major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, shot 68 on Sunday for a 19-under 269 as her challenge faded through the middle part of the round for a third-place finish.

Jenny Bae had a round of 69 and finished in a tie for fourth with Miyu Yamashita (67) of Japan and Somi Lee (69) of South Korea at 17-under 271.

Defending champion Ruoning Yin of China carded a final round of 68 to finish in a tie for 26th.

The Shanghai event is the first of five tournaments in Asia. There are two weeks in South Korea, including the International Crown team event, and other tournaments in Malaysia and Japan.

Golf

Jeeno Thitikul wins LPGA Shanghai in dramatic 5-hole playoff

Oct 12, 2025, 06:48 AM ET

SHANGHAI — Jeeno Thitikul came from four shots down with five holes to play to force a playoff with Minami Katsu, before producing another extraordinary shot on the fifth playoff hole to claim the LPGA Shanghai and become the first two-time LPGA tournament winner of the season on Sunday.

Top-ranked Thitikul’s 63 was the round of the day and included seven birdies and an eagle. The Thai player’s 24-under 264 closed what had appeared to be a comfortable margin for overnight leader Katsu of Japan, who had started the day two shots ahead and extended that to four after the 13th.

But the Thai player reeled that in with birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th, before an incredible eagle with the ball bouncing along the mottled 17th green of Qizhong Garden Golf Club in Shanghai to draw level.

Katsu (65) could only respond with a birdie of her own at the 17th, but had another birdie chance on the final hole to claw back the victory only for the ball to slide past the hole and forcing the playoff.

Pars through the first four playoff holes, rotated between the 18th and the 10th, included Katsu having two birdie putts to win only to narrowly miss the hole on both.

On the fifth playoff hole the deadlock was broken as a brilliant approach by Thitikul placed the ball three feet away, while Katsu’s second shot fell short of the green at the par-4 18th.

Katsu’s chip for birdie was impressive but missed, leaving Thitikul a simple birdie putt to close out a remarkable victory nearly two years after losing in an epic nine-hole playoff to Celine Boutier at the LPGA Malaysia.

From disappointment to delight

It was Thitikul’s second win of the season after claiming the Mizuho Americas Open in May and helped ease the disappointment of her inexplicable four-putt meltdown on the final hole at the Kroger Queen City Championship last month.

“What happened on the last event (was) definitely still in my mind, but like to be able to prove myself again this tournament, which is … like a dream come true and you know, I’m not carrying a thing on my shoulder,” she said.

Minjee Lee, who won her third major title at the Women’s PGA Championship in June, shot 68 on Sunday for a 19-under 269 as her challenge faded through the middle part of the round for a third-place finish.

Jenny Bae of the United States had a round of 69 and finished in a tie for fourth with Miyu Yamashita (67) of Japan and Somi Lee (69) of South Korea at 17-under 271.

Defending champion Ruoning Yin of China carded a final round of 68 to finish in a tie for 26th.

The Shanghai event is the first of five tournaments in Asia. There are two weeks in South Korea, including the International Crown team event, and other tournaments in Malaysia and Japan.

Minjee Lee, Jeeno Thitikul among the group chasing Arpichaya Yubol in China

SHANGHAI — Arpichaya Yubol shot a bogey-free 8-under 64 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA’s Shanghai tournament.

The Thai player, whose career-best round is a 61, had four birdies on each of the front and back nines on the Qizhong Garden Golf Club.

Minjee Lee, who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June for her third major title, was in a group of five, a stroke behind. Jenny Shin, Jenny Bae, Jeeno Thitikul and Ina Yoon also shot 65s.

Lee said she navigated the difficult bumpy greens at Qizhong the best she could with her broomstick-style putter. Most of the greens are brown and patchy due to the extreme heat and humidity of Shanghai.

“I feel like with how the greens are, the conditions, I managed pretty well to make, what, seven birdies, so it was nice day for me,†the Australian said.

Ashleigh Buhai, the 2022 AIG Women’s Open champion, shot 68. Defending champion Ruoning Yin had a 71.

The Shanghai event is the first of five tournaments in Asia. There’s two weeks in South Korea, including the International Crown team event, and other tournaments in Malaysia and Japan.

Last week, Youmin Hwang extended the incredible streak on the LPGA of having different winners at each of the 25 official tournaments this year. Hwang was the sixth player from South Korea to win on the LPGA this year.