MIAMI:
High-ranked defending champion Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand seeks her third title of the season and the richest payday in ladies’s golf at this week’s season-ending LPGA Tour Championship.
The $11 million showdown of 60 high gamers for a $4 million high prize at Tiburon Golf Membership in Naples, Florida, options the 22-year-old Asian star, who has a triumph amongst six top-10 finishes in her previous seven begins.
Jeeno received the Mizuho Americas Open in Could and final month’s LPGA Shanghai occasion, however has been a runner-up 4 instances this season, together with in a battle for her first main title at July’s Evian Championship in France.
“I am tremendous excited,” Jeeno mentioned. “It has nonetheless been actually like superb experience this yr. Undoubtedly ups and downs. Undoubtedly had a whole lot of shut ones however could not end it. Cried quite a bit for positive on second runner-up (Evian).
“However how usually you fall, how briskly you understand how to face up, so I feel that is a very good life studying expertise for me.”
Jeeno, by no means outdoors the top-10 on the Tour Championship, can also be within the hunt for the season cash crown, the Vare Trophy for off-season scoring common and the LPGA Participant of the Yr award.
“I feel if that trophy belong to another person, it’s essential give that to the one that deserve it,” Jeeno mentioned. “So I’ve nothing to do extra than simply 100% on the market.”
World quantity 4 Minjee Lee of Australia leads the season prize cash record with $3,822,388 whereas Jeeno sits $244,058 behind.
Lee, who switched to a broomstick putter at first of the marketing campaign, received her third profession main title on the Ladies’s PGA Championship in June and her eight top-10 efforts this yr included sharing third at Evian.
“I did not actually have huge expectations, so I used to be simply attempting to work via my processes and simply see the place it took me,” Lee mentioned. “I’ve had numerous success with it this yr and hopefully proceed to do this.”
Jeeno leads in scoring common for the season on 68.88 strokes with world quantity two Nelly Korda of america second on 69.58.
Korda has one remaining probability to take a victory this yr after capturing seven titles in 2024.
Jeeno leads within the Participant of the Yr chase by 16 factors over Japan’s third-ranked Miyu Yamashita, who has already clinched the LPGA Rookie of the Yr award.
She’s going to play in her first Tour Championship after the taking the Ladies’s British Open and successful once more final month in Malaysia.
The ten high gamers will obtain factors with the winner taking 30.
Yamashita might grow to be solely the second participant to win LPGA Rookie of the Yr and Participant of the Yr awards in the identical season after American Nancy Lopez in 1978.
