Jeeno Thitikul is your 2025 LPGA Rolex Player of the Year

Is it any surprise that the World No. 1 ranked player took home the trophy at the 2025 CME Group Tour Championship? Considering she won this tournament at the same course last year with just as dominant a performance, it can hardly be shocking.

Jeeno Thitikul won the 2025 CME Group Tour Championship and cemented her Rolex Player of the Year title on Sunday, November 23. She got the job done with a final-round 68 (-4) to finish four shots ahead of compatriot and good friend Pajaree Anannarukarn. Thitikul also clinched the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average this season. Her 68.681 average was also enough to break the LPGA Tour’s record for lowest season scoring average, topping Annika Sorenstam’s record from 2001. She lit it up not only this week but the entire season.

Thitikul came into the CME Group Tour Championship ranked at No. 1 in the world and with two wins under her belt for the season. This was comparatively a lot, considering the LPGA Tour had 27 different winners this year. Thitikul was poised to add another one to her season win count.

The 22-year-old from Thailand started her week with a solid 5-under-par 67, but the next two rounds were absolutely stunning. In rounds two and three, she fired a 63 and 64, respectively. Her 194 through the first three rounds set the 54-hole tournament scoring record.

After Saturday, Thitikul was six shots ahead of second place holders Anannarukarn and Nelly Korda. Then came the final round, and all Thitikul had to do was play the same golf she’d been playing all week and all season. With how reliable her ball-striking and putting have been, she just needed to keep her head on straight and control her own game. Anannarukarn and Korda both had mountains to climb if they were to catch the surging Thitikul, who showed absolutely no signs of slowing.

In Sunday’s final round, Thitikul shot a 4-under-par 68 that was not flawless; she had a bogey to go along with five birdies. But it was enough to fend off the players behind her. Anannarukarn’s 6-under 66 wasn’t enough, and Korda couldn’t get it going early enough to catch Thitikul. She finished with a 4-under 68 as well. Thitikul capped off her final round with a security birdie on the par-4 18th hole and was showered with champagne by friends and supporters.

The win at the CME Group Tour Championship was Thitikul’s seventh career victory. Her third win on the year, the victory marked the first time she’s won more than two times in a season. This was her fourth season on the LPGA Tour.

We’ll see you next week, golf fans!

Order “Rare Gems” and save 30%

Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX, wrote this deeply reported story following four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.

If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.

This week in women’s golf

LPGA News

Eclat Media Group’s SPOTV to broadcast exclusive LPGA Tour coverage in Korea beginning in 2026 under new multi-year partnership

Pajaree Anannarukarn celebrates career-best finish at the CME Group Tour Championship

Jeeno Thitikul earns 2025 Rolex Player of the Year award and Vare Trophy

Jeeno Thitikul wins CME Group Tour Championship for second consecutive year

Gaby Lopez launches up leaderboard after tying tournament record with Saturday 62

Nelly Korda cards career-best score at CME Group Tour Championship in second round

Players vote AIG Women’s Open best experience for second consecutive year

“Home” feeling friendly for Florida transplant, Canadian Brooke Henderson

The R&A of St. Andrews announces Lorena Ochoa as honorary member

Nelly Korda can change perception of her year in one tournament

New commissioner Kessler lays out 2026 schedule and a plan to get LPGA on the right path

LPGA announces 2025 Gold Driver Awards

The IX Daily: Six different women’s sports in your inbox every week!

Subscribe now and join us, just $6 a month or $60 a year. It’s the women’s sports media network we all wished for, and now it’s here! Soccer Monday, Tennis Tuesday, Basketball Wednesday, Golf Thursday, Hockey Friday – powered by The Ice Garden — and Gymnastics Saturday.

LET News

“Coming home is always special”: Muñoz promotes the presentation of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España

Everything you need to know ahead of the 2025 Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho

April rallying to keep card following testing season

Watch live: 2025 Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España

Sunshine Ladies Tour builds on growth with even stronger 2026 schedule

LET heads to Spain for 2025 season finale in Malaga

Tan leads Order of Merit with Rhodes still in contention heading to Spain

Dagar wins gold medal at 2025 Deaflympics

Getting to know…Darcey Harry

15 Spanish players will compete for the title at Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho

Five at The IX: Quotes from Jeeno Thitikul after her win at the 2025 CME Group Tour Championship

After Jeeno Thitikul’s win at the 2025 CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday, November 23 at Tiburón Golf Club, she had several interviews where she was asked about what her awards and cap to the season meant for her. Here are some snippets of those interviews.

THE MODERATOR: All right, we are here with the 2025 CME Group Tour Championship winner Jeeno Thitikul for the second year in a row. Can you just talk to us a little bit about your win and what it’s meant this entire week to play at the level you have.

JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I think earlier of the week I just saying be able to finish four round of golf here just more than I could ask for already, but standing here with the trophy on Sunday, hold the trophy, it’s just like more than I really, really could ask for for sure.

I mean, like all that work that I put in with my team kind of paid off here today again.

Q. And in addition to this trophy you received the Vare Trophy, Rolex Player of the Year. I mean, in the history books, you’re there. What has this meant to you? Has this set in for you?

JEENO THITIKUL: I think it’s just an honor. Definitely all that Vare Trophy, like Player of the Year is always going to be representing how consistency you are in the whole long season, but hold that trophy just feel, you know, kind of goosebump because like I think it’s had all the history about golf from all the players.

Q. What does this mean for and you Pajaree to finish first and second? She is like your big sister out here in a lot of ways and one of your best friends. How cool is it to share this moment?

JEENO THITIKUL: Great. I think last time that we’re in Korea and then we just go to shopping, right? And Pajaree is just like, I can’t shop. I need to like focus and playing good to be able to shopping.

So now she can be able to shopping with me, so great.

And then it’s just I’m seeing her from like — from turn pro until now. I think I saw every step of her career and I just can’t be happier about her to like be able to finish second here and finish strong for the season, because she been through a lot of ups and downs that I’ve been know and we talk a lot with that.

But I’m just really grateful to be able to know her and then be able to celebrating with her in each step of our life.

Q. You’ve had a brilliant year, three wins, no one has won more than you have. You also had the four runner-up finishes. A couple of heartbreaks as well. You’re season long Race champion, but how would you rank your season? How much more do you think you could have got out of year? Do you think you got everything you could have done? When you look at next year, what do you think your ceiling is?

JEENO THITIKUL: I have no idea. I’ll just say year by year. Lots of thing happening in just one year for sure. You seeing me like hold the trophy today, but you seeing me crying for sure for the four-putts that I have earlier. You see me crying for sure for the Evian. I’m not going to lie.

I think nothing you can predict with golf. Everything can happen. You can’t control anybody else. But what stay last long is your hard work, your discipline, and then like you’re passionate about golf.

Q. Jeeno, we always look at your statistics and you were first in just about everything. It’s often said that this game a far more mental than technical. With everything that was riding this week, Player of the Year, Vare Trophy, the scoring record, the $4 million, et cetera, et cetera, how do you go about putting yourself in the right frame of mind to be present, to play the best golf that you can play?

JEENO THITIKUL: I think you need to accept things in your head first. I mean, like you’re definitely going to thinks about certain things that want to come in the future. I definitely accept that, yes, I’m thinking about it, but like what can get me to that, the position that I want.

So just only process. One word, that’s only process be able to get me to where I want. Because like you can’t stop your mind of thinking about future, thinking about what if happened in the future.

But I think process is only one word that in my head.