Miami (AFP) – Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul sank a six-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the $4 million top prize at the LPGA’s season-ending Tour Championship. An eagle-birdie finish for the second day in a row by the 21-year-old Thai star completed a seven-under par 65 final round to leave her on 22-under 266 after 72 holes at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
“I don’t know what happened to me on 17 and 18,” Jeeno said. “I really needed a birdie on 17 to give me a good chance but having an eagle, it was more than I can ask for. Hitting really good second shot on 18 and to hole the putt it’s like, all the hard work that I’ve done has just paid off.”
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Three birdies and a 10-foot eagle putt on 17 over the last six holes gave Jeeno a one-stroke victory over American Angel Yin with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko a distant third on 271 after a closing 63. Jeeno took home the largest top prize in women’s golf history by withstanding pressure for Yin down the back nine.
“It’s just another opportunity that’s going through my life one time in my career,” Jeeno said. “It’s not a life or death. I just told myself if I win it’s going to be really good but if not it’s one tournament I give it 100%.” Together with a season-long $1 million bonus for her play on single specific holes throughout the season, Jeeno took home $5 million this week and has plans for her huge haul.
“Definitely spend it,” Jeeno said. “That’s an honest answer for sure. Definitely going to spend it for a little while but saving it for my parents as well because I told them I’ve been shopping a lot.”
The top 60 players in the season points chase qualified for the $11 million showdown. Seventh-ranked Jeeno captured her fourth career LPGA title after the 2022 JTBC Classic, 2022 Northwest Arkansas Championship, and this year’s Dow Championship pairs event with China’s Yin Ruoning, who was fourth on 272. Top-ranked Nelly Korda, who captured the LPGA Player of the Year Award, shared fifth on 273 with South Korean An Na-rin. US star Korda won seven times this year.
Yin received $1 million for her runner-up finish. “A lot of good golf, high energy,” Yin said. “My game is good going into next year. Lots of positives. I’m hitting it good. To play well here means a lot to me.”
Jeeno, who began the day tied for the lead with Yin, opened with birdies at the first and third holes and answered a bogey at four with a birdie at the seventh. Yin, who fired a bogey-free 66, birdied the fourth and par-3 eighth to stay level with Jeeno at the turn, then birdied 10 and the par-3 12th. Jeeno birdied 13 and the par-5 14th but Yin also birdied 14 to stay in front and stretched the lead to two with a birdie at the par-3 16th, only for Jeeno’s eagle-birdie finish to seize the victory.
© 2024 AFP
