For the first time this LPGA Tour season, we have a repeat winner as Jeeno Thitikul defeated Minami Katsu in five playoff holes.
Thitikul’s tournament felt over and lost, until she reached the 14th hole. From there she finished birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle-par to shoot 63 and force the playoff with Japan’s Minami Katsu. Katsu on the flip side started strong but went just -1 over that same finishing stretch.
After simple pars on the first playoff hole, Thitikul hit her tee shot into the water on the second extra hole, but hit one of the best shots of the season on her approach to make par and continue the marathon.
Like the Epson Tour Championship last weekend, this was a seemingly endless pair of pars from the two, as they both made easy ones on the third and fourth playoff holes.
Finally, Thitikul ended the playoff with a brilliant approach worth of the No. 1 player in the world. She tapped in for birdie to win her second tournament of the year right after her biggest heartbreaking loss in a season full of them. This is her sixth victory of her already fantastic career.
This is Thitikul’s third straight finish in the top two. It was her 10th top-five finish and 12th top-10 finish in just 18 starts. She is unquestionably the top player in the world at the moment.
