Naples, Florida, United States: Atthaya ‘Jeeno’ Thitikul finished eagle-birdie to set the seal on a sensational campaign by winning the CME Group Tour Championship, edging American Angel Yin by one shot in the LPGA Tour’s US$11 million season-ending showpiece.
Following an exciting back-and-forth battle at Tiburón Golf Club, it was Thailand’s Atthaya who emerged victorious with a total of 22-under-par 266 (71-67-63-65).
Her fourth career LPGA Tour victory was worth US$4 million, the largest first-place prize in women’s golf.
Winner of the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in 2018, Atthaya said: “Last year I put too much pressure on myself and I wasn’t having fun on the course, not smiling, not being myself. I realised at the beginning of this year that I was injured and after the injury I had a lot of doubt in myself.
“Standing here with the trophy, it’s more than I can ask for. Having won here is a kind of release. I can breathe now.”
The US$4 million winner’s purse wasn’t the only seven-figure windfall for Atthaya during the week of the CME Group Tour Championship. She also won the 2024 Aon Risk Reward Challenge, a season-long award that comes with a US$1 million prize.
She said: “Like I said, my million is good enough, at Aon. I think I’m at the point that I’m not really thinking about the prize money that much. Like Lydia Ko said at Grant Thornton, we’re not here for the prize money. We’re here for growing the game of golf more.”
Atthaya also won the LPGA Tour’s 2024 Money Title with US$6,059,309 in season earnings, breaking Lorena Ochoa’s single-season earnings record by more than US$1.6 million. She is also the 2024 Race to the CME Globe champion.
Atthaya and Yin began the final day tied for the lead on 15-under and the duo fought out a see-saw battle, which seemed to swing the American’s way when she birdied the par-three 16th to lead by two shots.
But 21-year-old Atthaya found the green in two shots at the par-five 17th and converted her eagle putt from 15 feet to tie Yin, who missed a birdie chance from inside five feet.
Both players found the fairway off the tee at the par-four closing hole, and it was Atthaya who hit first and knocked her approach shot to within five feet.
After Yin narrowly missed her birdie attempt from 25 feet, Atthaya drained her putt to secure the biggest win of her career, and her first individual title since the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in September 2022.
Atthaya won the pairs format Dow Championship with her good friend Yin Ruoning of China in June this year.
While Angel Yin was disappointed to miss out on her second career LPGA Tour victory, the 26-year-old’s runner-up result was her best of the 2024 season and was worth US$1 million.
“I’ve learned that I need to believe in myself, and that’s what I did. I just need to keep doing that, believe in myself,” said Yin, who had to sit out the early part of this season with an ankle injury.
Two-time CME Group Tour Championship winner Ko fired a closing nine-under 63 to finish in solo third place on 17-under overall, while three-time 2024 winner Yin Ruoning was fourth a shot further back.
Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking number one Nelly Korda of the United States tied for fifth on 15-under alongside Korean An Na-rin. An’s compatriot and defending champion Amy Yang settled for joint eighth on 13-under.
Ayaka Furue claimed Vare Trophy honours with a season average of 69.988, becoming the first Japanese player to do so. Her compatriot Mao Saigo took home the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award.