Jeeno Thitikul’s record-breaking rise continues after CIMB Championship triumph

At just 22 years old, Atthaya “Jeeno” Thitikul is already rewriting the history of women’s golf. Born on February 20, 2003, and splitting her time between Bangkok and Dallas, Texas, the Thai superstar has transformed promise into dominance, and dominance into something even more rare—a legacy in real time.

Her latest victory at the CIMB Championship has only further cemented her standing as the face of women’s golf in 2025.

Twelve months ago, Atthaya stood on the CME Group Tour Championship green with a mixture of disbelief and gratitude, holding the season-ending trophy.

This year, she found herself back in the exact same spot—this time with an even deeper sense of triumph. Winning the CME Group Tour Championship for the second consecutive year, she became only the second player to earn back-to-back titles, joining Jin Young Ko.

It also made her just the third player ever to win the event multiple times, placing her name alongside the likes of Lydia Ko and Jin Young Ko.

Yet 2025 has become much bigger than one trophy. With three LPGA wins this season—including the CIMB Championship—Atthaya has become the player with the most wins this year, outpacing Miyu Yamashita (two wins) and the 27 other competitors who each claimed one.

It marks her first season with more than two victories, confirming her rapid ascent from rising talent to consistent force on the LPGA tour.

The numbers alone are staggering. With her US$4 million winner’s check, she became the fastest player in LPGA history to surpass US$17 million in career earnings, shattering milestones previously reached by legends.

She had already beaten the field in reaching winnings totalling $8 million, $9 million, $10 million, $11 million, $12 million, and US$13 million, and continues chasing down Annika Sorenstam’s all-time total, now just $5.2 million behind.

She is projected to move inside the top 10 on the career money list, while also eclipsing Ariya Jutanugarn as the highest-earning Thai player in LPGA history.

What makes this run more remarkable is the adversity behind it. Atthaya revealed she suffered wrist pain just a week before the tournament, forcing her to limit her practice to short game work and even skip full-swing sessions. “Stopping was the good choice to protect my wrist.”

Across 20 starts in 2025, she made 19 cuts, recorded 14 top-10 finishes, and captured three victories. Her consistency earned her the Rolex Player of the Year award and the prestigious Vare Trophy, milestones she accepted with humility.

“Holding that trophy just gives me goosebumps,” she admitted. “Player of the Year represents how consistent you are over a whole long season, so it’s a real honor.”

For all the records, all the firsts, and all the accolades, the young golfer remains grounded. Even after breaking Annika Sorenstam’s scoring average record—something she reacted to with pure shock—she insisted her life hasn’t changed much. “I still need to hit the ball the same,” she said. “I still need to putt and chip.”

But her sense of humor remains intact. When asked how she plans to celebrate, she didn’t hesitate: “Definitely shopping. It’s the strategy—when you earn it, you have to spend it and earn it again.”

From her beginnings as a teenage prodigy who earned LET wins even as an amateur, to turning professional in 2020, earning her LPGA card in 2021, and becoming World No. 1 in 2022, every step of Atthaya’s journey has led to this defining season.

Seven LPGA wins. Fifty-five career top-10 finishes. A second consecutive season-finale title. A historic scoring record. And a place among golf’s most decorated names—at just 22.

Atthaya isn’t just Thailand’s brightest star. She is the new standard for women’s golf across the world.

With additional report by Lerpong Amsa-ngiam