Jeeno Thitikul didn’t let a late double bogey block her path to a fourth LPGA Tour win this year, responding with birdies on the final two holes to secure the Lotte Championship on Sunday in Honolulu.
Thitikul of Thailand shot 4-under-par 68 to finish at 21-under 267 at Hoakalei Country Club. The 23-year-old started the round atop the leaderboard with a three-stroke margin and kept it for her 11th career victory since joining the tour in 2022.
South Korea’s Ina Yoon also shot 68 and was alone in second at 18 under, followed by Japan’s Miyu Yamashita (67) at 17 under. American Auston Kim (67) was fourth at 16 under despite a stretch of three bogeys from Nos. 12-14.
The No. 2 player in the Rolex world rankings, Thitikul matched top-ranked Nelly Korda with her fourth victory this season.
Thitikul opened with a birdie at the par-5 first hole and shaved single strokes at Nos. 7 and 8 to make the turn at 33 for the day. The back nine started with five pars, then a birdie at the par-3 No. 15 before she ran into trouble when she drove into the water at the par-4 No. 16.
The double-bogey 6 dropped her to 19 under for the tournament, but she regained the shots with birdies at Nos. 17 and 18.
“It definitely feels so bad after finishing the 16, but I also told myself that I still in the bubble, and then I feel like I trying to play my game, not other or anyone game,” Thitikul said. “So I just really want to focus on what I have, because like on my mind I think whenever if I still have a shot, which mean I still have a chance, no matter it’s going to be good or bad, I have nothing to lose.”
Thitikul hit 11 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation.
Yoon, 23, had a sizzling start with birdies at Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5 before a bogey at No. 8 and another birdie at No. 9. The back nine was a balance of two birdies and two bogeys.
Yoon hit nine of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation on Sunday. She totaled a tournament-best 26 birdies over four rounds.
“It was super fun today,” Yoon said after her second runner-up finish of the season, following the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June. “Jeeno played great, and my first nine holes was putting-wise awesome. Yeah, I think I learn a lot about golf from her. Yeah, it was super nice. She’s nice player and she’s nice person at the same time. Yeah, really congratulations for her. I’m so proud.”
Thitikul said that she knew she had to make birdies with the way Yoon, her playing partner, was making shots in the final round.
“She played really incredible golf today,” Thitikul said. “She opening the round with like five hole, 4-under par, which is, you know, a really like good, good round of golf that she put in. And then it’s a really good battling out with her out there. We have fun.”
–Field Level Media
