Atthaya Thitikul ( th, อาฒยา ฐิติกุล, , ; born 20 February 2003) is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based

LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of week ...

and the Ladies European Tour. She is the youngest golfer ever to win a professional golf tournament at aged 14 years, 4 months and 19 days after winning the Ladies European Thailand Championship as an amateur on 9 July 2017. She was the number one ranked women's amateur golfer in the world for a total of 12 weeks, rising to the top on two occasions, the first time on 26 June 2019. On 27 March 2022, Thitikul won for the first time on the

at the JTBC Classic. While still age 19 in September 2022, Thitikul had two wins on the professional

and four wins on the Ladies European Tour. On 31 October 2022, Thitikul became the number 1 ranked golfer in the

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, and was considered to be the fastest rising star in golf. On 10 November, she was named the 2022 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

Early life

Thitikul was born on 20 February 2003 in Ban Pong,

Ratchaburi Ratchaburi ( th, ราชบุรี, ) or Rajburi, Rat Buri) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in western Thailand, capital of Ratchaburi Province. Ratchaburi town covers the entire ''tambon'' Na Mueang (หน้าเมือง) of Mueang ...

to Montree Thitikul and Siriwan. She first started playing golf at the age of 6 years old, when her father presented the opportunity to play golf or tennis. She chose golf after watching pictures of both sports on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

. She graduated from Sarasas Witaed Nakhonpathom School, a high school in

Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Pathom ( th, นครปฐม, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in central Thailand, the former capital of Nakhon Pathom province. One of the most important landmarks is the giant Phra Pathommachedi. The city is also home to Thailand's ...

. She is also known by her nickname, "Jeen" or "Jeeno".

Amateur career

2017

On 23 February, 3 days after her 14th birthday, Thitikul made her first appearance at the

Honda LPGA Thailand The Honda LPGA Thailand is a women's professional golf tournament in Thailand on the LPGA Tour. First played in 2006 at the Amata Spring Country Club, the tournament moved to the Siam Country Club, Pattaya in 2007, on its Old Course. It was the ...

on the

, where she finished 37th out of the 66 competitors. She had earned her place in the field when she finished runner-up in the Thailand Amateur Open the previous August when she was just 13 years and 6 months old. After competing in the LPGA event, she won the Taiwan Amateur Open in June. Her emergence onto the international golf scene came with her victory at Ladies European Thailand Championship on the Ladies European Tour as an amateur on 9 July. This win made her became the youngest person ever to win a professional golf tour event at age 14 years, 4 months and 19 days old. The previous record belonged to Canadian Brooke Henderson who won the 2012 Canadian Women's Tour aged 14 years, 9 months, and 3 days. Her amateur status meant that she could not claim the first prize of 45,000 euros for winning but it gave her the entries into both the

Women's British Open The Women's Open (originally known as the Women's British Open, and still widely referred to by that name outside the UK) is a major championship in women's professional golf. It is recognised by both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tou ...

and the Evian Championship in France. She missed the cut at the

British Open The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

by a shot but made the cut at the Evian Championship, playing the final two rounds and finishing in 64th place. Thitikul also competed at the Junior Dutch Open in July. In the final round, she carded a course-record 8-under-par round to win the tournament by eight clear shots. In August, she won an individual gold medal and was part of the Thailand team that won another gold in the team event at the

Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, also known as the SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with sup ...

in Malaysia.

2018

In February, Thitikul competed in the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Singapore, just as she turned 15. She was part of a four-way tie in the final round but went onto to win the title. Her victory earned her a place in the

HSBC Women's Champions The HSBC Women's World Championship is a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour first held in 2008. It was played on the Garden Course of the Tanah Merah Country Club in eastern Singapore, adjacent to Singapore Changi Airport f ...

on the same course, plus entries into the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills, California and for a place in the British Open, for a second year running. At the HSBC event, she was the joint youngest starter of the championship at 15 years and 9 months, the exact same age at which Singapore's Amanda Tan competed in 2014. She carded a bogey-free final round of six-under par 66 to finish tied for eighth. At the ANA Inspiration in March, she finished in a tie for 30th place and earned low amateur honours. In August, she was the only amateur to make the cut at the Woman's British Open and won the Smyth Salver, low amateur award. On 15 September, she broke the course record at

World Junior Girls Championship The World Junior Girls Championship (french: Championnat Mondial Junior Féminin) is an annual world amateur team golf championship for women under 18 organized in Canada. The inaugural event was held in 2014. Format The competition is open to fem ...

on Camelot Golf and Country Club in Ottawa, with a score of 12-under-par 60, in the final round to win a title by 2 strokes. Mixed Team Golf Medallist Ceremony YOG18 15-10-2018 (23)

Mixed Team Golf Medallist Ceremony YOG18 15-10-2018 (23)

At the

2018 Summer Youth Olympics The 2018 Summer Youth Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud de 2018), officially known as the III Summer Youth Olympic Games, and commonly known as Buenos Aires 2018, were an international multi-sport event, sports, cultural, and edu ...

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, Thitikul teamed with Vanchai Luangnitikul to win the mixed team gold medal for Thailand.

2019

On 24 June, Thitikul won the Ladies European Thailand Championship for the second time in three years. She finished with a five-under-par 67 to win by five shots from Esther Henseleit. Following her win, Thitikul was ranked 1st in the world on the women's

World Amateur Golf Ranking The World Amateur Golf Ranking for men was introduced by The R&A, the governing body of the sport of golf outside the United States and Mexico, on 23 January 2007. It is based on the results of over 2,600 amateur tournaments per year (and amateurs p ...

on 26 June and then again from October 2019 until January 2020 before turning professional. In August, she won the back-to-back Smyth Salver, low amateur honour, at the

after finishing in a tie for 29th place at Woburn. In December, she represented Thailand at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. She won a bronze medal in the women's team event.

Professional career

2020

Thitikul turned professional in January 2020 and played several events in Australia, including the Women’s NSW Open in which she finished fourth. After the COVID-19 break, she broke through for her first professional win in July at the Thai LPGA Tour's 3rd Singha-SAT Thai LPGA Championship. She finished the season with 5 Thai LPGA wins and was on the top of the money list.

2021

In May, Thitikul received a sponsor's exemption to play in the

on the LPGA Tour, in which she finished second, one stroke behind Ariya Jutanugarn. Later, she began playing on the Ladies European Tour. On 27 June, Thitikul claimed her third Ladies European Tour title, her first as a professional, at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open. This win made her eligible to play in European major tournaments, the Evian Championship and the British Open in 2021. On 12 July, she moved into the top 100 on the

for the first time with a rank of 89, after finishing second at the

Aramco Team Series – London The Aramco Team Series is a professional women's golf competition that is part of the Ladies European Tour (LET), first played in 2020. The inaugural tournament was played as the Saudi Ladies Team International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Clu ...

losing to

Marianne Skarpnord Marianne Skarpnord (born 11 February 1986) is a Norwegian professional golfer playing on the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career As a junior, Skarpnord was considered one of the biggest talents in Norwegian golf. In 2003, she won the Girls A ...

in a playoff. On 25 July, Thitikul recorded her best-ever finish at a major championship with fifth place at the 2021 Evian Championship, having a score of 14-under par 270, and boosting her world ranking to its highest ever position of 61st place. On 15 August, she achieved her seventh consecutive top-five place on a Ladies European Tour event by finishing tied for second in the

Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open The Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open is a women's professional golf tournament in Scotland on the Ladies European Tour (LET). First played in 1986, it became a regular fixture on the tour schedule in 2010. Since 2017 it has been co-sanctioned ...

at Dumbarnie Links. Following the event, her world golf ranking moved to 35th place. On 11 September, Thitikul secured her fourth Ladies European Tour title, her second of the season, at the

VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open The Ladies Swiss Open is a women's professional golf tournament on the Ladies European Tour that is held in Switzerland. It was first played in 1996 and 1997, the first LET event in Switzerland since the Ladies Swiss Classic (1988–1990). It was ...

. She overcame a four-shot deficit after 36 holes to win by one stroke over

. As a result, her world ranking rose to 28th place, her highest ever. In November, Thitikul recorded three more top-ten finishes, including second place at the

Aramco Saudi Ladies International The Aramco Saudi Ladies International is a professional golf tournament on the Ladies European Tour (LET), first played in 2020. The tournament is played in Saudi Arabia at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City by the Red ...

, tied for sixth place at the Aramco Team Series – Jeddah, and third place at the season finale

Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De España Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

. Her world ranking went into top-20 for the first time, rank 18. Thitikul won the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit and Rookie of the Year titles, following her two wins, three runner-ups, and nine additional top-ten finishes. She became the fourth player to win both awards in the same season and also became the youngest Order of Merit winner. She was also selected to earn the Players’ Player of the Year title. In December, Thitikul earned her card for the 2022

after finished third at the

qualifying school In professional golf, the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S.-based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the ...

2022

After her tie for fourth-place finish at the

HSBC Women's World Championship The HSBC Women's World Championship is a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour first held in 2008. It was played on the Garden Course of the Tanah Merah Country Club in eastern Singapore, adjacent to Singapore Changi Airport fro ...

tournament in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

on 6 March, her world rank rose six places from 20th to 14th, the highest in her career, two weeks after her 19th birthday. She won her largest tournament purse in her first year as a professional on the LPGA, $81,447. On 27 March, Thitikul won her first

tournament in her fifth start as a tour member at the JTBC Classic. She carded an 8-under-par 64 in the final round to come back from 6 shots behind after 54 holes to force a playoff, then beating Nanna Koerstz Madsen on the second playoff hole. She earned the $225,000 first prize, and became the youngest winner on the tour, aged 19 years and 35 days, since Brooke Henderson won the 2016 Portland Classic at age 18 years, 9 months, and 23 days. On 24 September, she tied the tournament record of 61 in the second round of the

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is an annual women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour in Rogers, Arkansas, north of Fayetteville. First played in 2007, all editions of the tournament have been played at Pinnacle Country Club ...

, placing her with a one-stroke lead going into the Sunday finale of the 54-hole tournament. The bogey-free, 10-under-par round started with a 32 on the back nine, followed by a 29 on the front nine, with an eagle-birdie-birdie finish. The 61 was her lowest LPGA score over her previous best round of 63, and her 36-hole total of 128 was lower than her previous total of 131. She won her second LPGA tournament the next day in a playoff win over

Danielle Kang Danielle Grace Kang (born October 20, 1992) is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour. As an amateur, she won the U.S. Women's Amateur twice, in 2010 and 2011. She won the 2017 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, an LPG ...

. Both of her LPGA wins were in a playoff. By October, Thitikul had risen to second in the world rankings, and was described in 2022 as the fastest rising star in golf. On 20 October, she set a tournament record of 63 (9-under-par) in the first round, leading the BMW Ladies Championship by one stroke, carding seven birdies and an eagle on the par-4 13th from 102 yards. Thitikul leads the Rookie of the Year race. On 31 October, without playing in a tournament the previous week, she became the #1 golfer in the world for the first time, after her #2 ranking on 24 October.

Ko Jin-young Ko Jin-young (;, born 7 July 1995), also known as Jin Young Ko, is a South Korean professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. By age 22 years, she had won 10 times on the LPGA of Korea Tour, was second at the 2015 Ricoh Women’s British ...

fell to #2 on her average points from 7.25 to 7.09, for Atthaya (7.20 to 7.13) to become the new #1. On 10 November, she was named the Rookie of the Year. She lost the top ranking spot to Nelly Korda on 14 November.

Amateur wins

*2016 Singapore Junior Golf Championship qualifier, TGA-Singha Junior Ranking #6, TGA-Singha Junior Ranking #1, TGA-Singha Junior Ranking #3, TGA-Singha Junior Ranking #4, Singha Thailand Junior World Golf Championship qualifier, Singha Thailand Junior World Championships *2017 Taiwan Amateur Championship, Dutch International Junior Open,

(women's individual), Santi Cup, Pondok Indah International Junior Championship *2018 National Team Ranking #2, Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific, National Team Ranking #4,

Queen Sirikit Cup The Queen Sirikit Cup, officially the Asia-Pacific Amateur Ladies Golf Team Championship, is an annual amateur team golf championship for women organised by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation. The inaugural event was held in 1979. The event is na ...

, National Team Ranking #5,

*2019 National Team Ranking #4, Thailand Ladies Amateur Open, National Team Ranking #5,

Source:

Professional wins (12)

LPGA Tour wins (2)

LPGA Tour playoff record (2–0)

Ladies European Tour wins (4)

Thitikul won the event as an amateur. Ladies European Tour playoff record (0–1)

Thai LPGA Tour wins (5)

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

(5) 3rd Singha-SAT Thai LPGA Championship, 6th Singha-SAT Thai LPGA Championship, 7th Singha-SAT Thai LPGA Championship, 8th Singha-SAT Thai LPGA Championship, Muang Thai Insurance Thailand LPGA Masters

Other wins (1)

* 2021 (1) Phoenix Ladies Classic

Results in LPGA majors

''Results not in chronological order before 2019 or in 2020.'' LA = low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = no tournament
T = tied

Summary

*Most consecutive cuts made – 11 (2017 Evian – 2022 British, current) *Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (2022 Women's PGA – 2022 British, current)

Ladies European Tour career summary

¹ Insufficient rounds played to rank as Thitikul played in only one LET event in 2020
^ Official as of 2021 season

LPGA Tour career summary

^a Competed as an amateur
ⁿ Not a member of the LPGA Tour
^ Official as of 2022 season

World ranking

Position in

at the end of each calendar year.

Team appearances

Patsy Hankins Trophy The Patsy Hankins Trophy is a women's amateur golf competition on the model of the Ryder Cup, corresponding to the men's Bonallack Trophy. The competition opposes every two years a European team and a team representing Asia/Pacific, and the venue ...

(representing Asia/Pacific): 2018 (winners) *

(representing Thailand):

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

(winners),

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

Youth Olympic Games The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event for athletes between 15 and 18 years old, organized by the International Olympic Committee. The games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consiste ...

(representing Thailand):

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

(winners) *

(representing Thailand): 2018, 2019 * Asian Games (representing Thailand):

* Amata Friendship Cup (representing Thailand):

(winners) *

(representing Thailand): 2016, 2017, 2018

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thitikul, Atthaya Atthaya Thitikul Ladies European Tour golfers LPGA Tour golfers Golfers at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics Atthaya Thitikul Atthaya Thitikul Atthaya Thitikul Southeast Asian Games medalists in golf Competitors at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games Competitors at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games Golfers at the 2018 Asian Games Atthaya Thitikul Atthaya Thitikul 2003 births Living people Atthaya Thitikul