Atthaya Thitikul, the 2022 champion and current No. 1 player in women’s golf, dazzled fans with her impressive play during the CME Group Tour Championship. She went on to shoot a blistering 9-under 63, vaulting to a commanding three-shot lead. She finished with a phenomenal performance, increasing her aggregate score to 14-under 130. This milestone follows two championship rounds at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
Thitikul’s round featured an astonishing run of birdies, with the 19-year-old finishing with birdies on her final five holes. She started her streak with two clutch 10-footers on the eighth and ninth greens. Those shots truly foreshadowed an incredible performance. She made a putt for birdie on every hole during her round, demonstrating her command over the course.
See how the defending champion demonstrates her impressive scoring skills. Last year, she won the tournament by a stellar 22-under par, narrowly defeating her rival competition by one full stroke. Thitikul’s 5-stroke lead heading into the final round gives her a very good shot at repeating her triumph this year.
During her round, Thitikul strung together four straight birdies around the turn and recorded six birdies in an eight-hole stretch. She angled her approach just right so as to skillfully avoid the back right pin nestled over a bunker at No. 11. The ball rolled to within five feet of the hole. These must-make mediums and long-es contributed the most to her big, early lead.
Thitikul’s play comes under significant duress as she still competes for the LPGA Player of the Year award. As of now, she is on top of the points-based award. Miyuu Yamashita, one of the only players with more than one victory this season, is right with her. Thitikul has the highest of stakes in this tournament. Should she win that victory, she may end up winning a historic $4 million!
It was a tough round for Thitikul last week at The Annika, grinding her way to a rough weekend. She has since made a glorious comeback and is back to her stunning self. She had nothing but good things to say about her early competing experiences and continues to look for new heights of success.
Fellow competitor Nelly Korda shared her own experiences leading into the tournament, noting the importance of practice:
“Honestly, yesterday I went to the putting green for five minutes and I saw some balls actually roll into the hole, which was nice. And then left,” – Nelly Korda.
As the championship continues, Thitikul’s historic performance is leaving her opponents with more and more ground to cover. Jeeno Thitikul commented on the competitive nature of the tournament, reflecting on the scoring environment:
“As I always say, all the winners here, the score is like 20-plus something which is really low scoring,” – Jeeno Thitikul.
We can’t wait to see if Thitikul is poised to make history again! With three rounds remaining in the tournament, she’s looking to repeat her championship title and cash in on a million dollar payday.
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