NAPLES, Fla. – Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand capped off her best year with the largest cash prize in women’s golf, overcoming an early challenge from Pajaree Anannarukarn and closing with a 68 under par to win the CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday, taking home another $4 million.
Thitikul achieved her third victory this year on the LPGA Tour, and a final birdie on the final hole at Tiburon Golf Club gave her the lowest scoring average in tour history.
The competition was never really in doubt when Thitikul started with a six-stroke lead over Nelly Korda, the American whom she replaced at number 1 in the women’s world ranking this year.Jeeno Thitikul hizo birdie en el hoyo final para establecer el récord del promedio de puntuación más bajo en la historia del LPGA Tour. Su victoria en el CME Group Tour Championship fue la tercera del año y conllevó un premio de $4 millones.Anannarukarn, however, made the game exciting, with five birdies in seven holes to get within two strokes before reaching the final nine. Thitikul birdied holes 10 and 13, while her Thai friend dropped a stroke on the par-3 12th hole, returning the lead to five strokes.
From there, it was about getting to the finish line and being soaked with champagne on the 18th hole green. She joins Jin Young Ko as the only consecutive winners of the CME Group Tour Championship.
Thitikul finished with 26 under par, 262 strokes, for a four-stroke victory.
The victory secured her the Player of the Year award from the LPGA and the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average, the two most important awards in women’s golf.
Korda becomes the first player since Tiger Woods in 2010 to go from a seven-win season to not winning the following year.
