Atthaya Thitikul became the first rookie in five years to win twice in one season after she defeated Danielle Kang in a sudden-death playoff. The 19-year-old Thai player, a former phenom, carded a career-low 61 on Saturday at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and then poured in birdies at just the right time on Sunday.
Thitikul becomes the fourth Thai player to win multiple titles on the LPGA, joining Ariya Jutanugarn (12), Moriya Jutanugarn (2) and Jasmine Suwannapura (2). She’s the fourth player to win multiple LPGA titles in 2022, joining Jennifer Kupcho (3), Minjee Lee (2) and Brooke Henderson (2), who all won majors this season.
“I’m in the final group, then just prove myself that, yeah, you can do it,” she said of joining the Jutanugarns on a short list of Thai players who have won more than one title.
“Even you have a pressure on it, you have a pressure on yourself, and I think it’s mean a lot to me and to my team as well because they know that I can do it, like many times.”
Read to perfection. 💥
Another look at Atthaya Thitikul's winning birdie putt. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/r6MqNtLZGA
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 25, 2022
Kang, 29, was making her third start since returning to the tour after testing and treatment for a tumor on her spine. While she hasn’t revealed much about that process, Kang was emotional in a post-round interview, saying she wondered, at times, if she’d ever get the chance to compete at again.
“I don’t think I’ve ever cried by losing,” she said, calling them happy tears.
Kang holed out for eagle on the 18th hole in regulation to take the clubhouse lead at 17 under. Thitikul matched her with a birdie on the penultimate hole. They proceeded to a sudden-death playoff, with Thitikul winning on the second hole with birdie. Both of Thitikul’s LPGA titles this season were won in a playoff.
Asked if it was any easier the second time around, Thitikul, known by friends at “Jeeno,” said absolutely not.
“Not at all,” she said. “I mean, like I just feel like playing golf with Danielle is kind of tough as well because she is pretty great player, win a lot on LPGA Tour already.”
Thitikul, who closed with a 68, earned $345,000 for her victory, giving her $1,881,392 for the season. She extends her lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race over South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi.
Thitikul’s rookie success shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given how early she found the winner’s circle. In 2017, she became the youngest to ever win a professional tournament when she triumphed on home soil at the Ladies European Thailand Championship at 14 years, 4 months, and 19 days.
Last season, she won the Race to Costa del Sol, Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors at age 18, joining Dame Laura Davies, Carlota Ciganda and Esther Henseleit as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season.
“When you get the job done, and then you feel like release and then it’s just like yeah, the whole world that I had carry on my back, it’s like done,” said Thitikul. “They’re gone. And just know that what you have work is right and then, yeah, the hard work pays off as well.”
