Welcome back to Golf Thursday, everyone!
On Sunday, Feb. 22, Jeeno Thitikul capped off her birthday week with a win at the 2026 Honda LPGA Thailand. Let’s take a look at the 23-year-old’s first LPGA Tour win in her home country.
Thitikul entered the week at the Honda LPGA Thailand for the sixth time in her career but still without a win. During her professional career, she has played well at this event at Siam Country Club’s Old Course. In 2022, Thitikul notched a top 10, finishing tied for 8th. In 2023 and 2024, she finished in solo third place. In 2021, in her first start at the tournament as a professional, she finished in solo second place.
Everything but the win in Pattaya for Thitikul, but her game is still good in this city. Before the tournament, she expressed that being ranked No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings may just boost her luck.
“I would say I already think this is my year to, you know, play in front of them as the world No. 1,” Thitikul said in a press conference on Feb. 18 ahead of the 2026 Honda LPGA Thailand.
“But talk about the result, I’m not—I don’t know who is going to be. Like sometime I just can control myself but I can’t control any other else.”
That all changed in 2026. Just days after celebrating her 23rd birthday, Thitikul picked up her first LPGA Tour win in Thailand, her native country, and 8th career victory. She finished atop the leaderboard at 24-under-par, one stroke ahead of Japan’s Chizzy Iwai. To finally get it done in front of friends and family in a home crowd was something special.
“I think I had a really like good run in this golf course since like [20]21 until now,” Thitikul said in her post-win press conference on Feb. 22.
“But finally get it done after all the things what happen, I think it just kind of life perspective, like grateful. And then all the things that I have been doing, just on the right tracks. Just nothing else, just grateful.”
The golf was excellent the entire week, though, so it was a fight to the end. Thitikul shot a final-round 68 (-4) that made her one of six golfers to shoot all four rounds in the 60s. The others: Iwai (2), Hyo Joo Kim (3), Lydia Ko and Nanna Koerstz-Madsen (T5), and Hannah Green (7).
This week by Jeeno, though, showcased her incredible consistency. It’s a consistency that essentially guarantees her tournament wins, especially when each round she shoots is in the 60s. When Thitikul is on, there’s no stopping her. And she’s got another great chance to keep the momentum from Feb. 26–March 1 at the 2026 HSBC Women’s World Championship. But Thitikul is fully aware of the talent on the LPGA Tour and knows how to manage her expectations.
“I think I always stay grounded. Like what I have, world No. 1, the win, whatever it is, I just set it out on my side, and then what I have to do is doing my job because like new week, and every reset,” Thitikul said during a press conference on Feb. 24 ahead of the 2026 HSBC Women’s World Championship.
“Everyone has equal opportunities to be able to win the tournament, right? How many players, like 70-something players, we all have the same chance right now to be able to win the tournament and to be able to do the things on four days that’s going to come in. I think just your job. What I really want to do, I want to be good at it. Good at the shots I have. Good at each day that I have in a tournament, that’s it.”
And she’s right; Charley Hull, World No. 3, and Lydia Ko, World No. 6 and defending champion of the HSBC Women’s World Championship, are both in the field ready to challenge for the title. Hull is coming off a win on the Ladies European Tour at the 2026 PIF Saudi Ladies International. Ko, although already a shoo-in to the Hall of Fame, continues to search for success. Ko says there is still motivation, especially when it comes to the U.S. Women’s Open, a tournament she has not yet captured.
“But all in all, I think just outside of how many event I want to win and what tournament I want to win, I feel like my game is trending to the point where I know that if I just keep working on, it I’ll just become a better golfer and the results kind of sort itself out,” Ko said in a press conference on Feb. 24 in Singapore.
A win at the HSBC in Singapore would mean multitudes to any of these players. I can’t help but to think, though, that it’s all just preparation for Thitikul. She has her eyes on so much more: her first LPGA Tour major. But that’s the story in just over a month when we move closer to the first major of the year, The Chevron Championship.
For now, we’ll catch you next week to see how it shakes out in Singapore. See you then, golf fans!
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Chizzy Iwai challenges Thitikul, finishes second at Honda LPGA Thailand
Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul wins home Honda LPGA Thailand tournament for the first time
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Five at The IX: Hear from players ahead of the Ford Women’s NSW Open in Australia on the Ladies European Tour (LET)
From Feb. 26–March 1, the Ladies European Tour heads Down Under for the 2026 Ford Women’s NSW Open at Wollongong Golf Club. Englishwoman Mimi Rhodes looks to defend her title and course record from last year. A co-sanctioned event with the WPGA Tour of Australasia, 80 LET players, 30 WPGA players and 22 invites will tee it up. Here are some quotes from Aussies Kelsey Bennett and Kirsten Rudgeley, as well as Italian Alessandra Fanali ahead of the tournament.
Australian Kelsey Bennett on redeeming herself at this year’s event:
“I think last year I put a bit too much pressure on myself. So I’m trying to manage that better this year but I know I’ve grown a lot as a person and as a player since then. Hopefully it all works out.
“I’ve surrounded myself with a really strong team which makes a massive difference. I’ve been working super hard with my coach on many different parts of my game and it’s paying off. It was nice to continue my good form into Saudi. It’s such a big event to start the year so I was very happy. Hopefully it continues this week too.”
Bennett on the importance and comfort of Australian golf on the LET:
“It’s so special to have four LET events in Australia. I think about the other girls who are able to go home to Europe throughout the year, so it’s nice for once that home isn’t too far away for me. That side of it is good and hopefully we can showcase some seriously world class golf courses.”
Aussie Kirsten Rudgeley on the perks of being at home:
“I love playing at home. Everyone is so nice and you’re always guaranteed good coffee in Australia. That’s definitely a perk and something I miss when I’m in Europe…the terrible coffee!
“It’s always nice being in Aus and seeing familiar faces. Obviously these events are run really well and I’m really looking to it. I’ve just got my mum here. She’s caddying. We’ve got an apartment and have just been chilling out. It’s so nice. We’re looking forward to the week. It’s going to be fun.
“I’m playing all four weeks in Australia. I can’t wait for the Aus Open. The golf course [Kooyonga] is unbelievable. It’s phenomenal. It will be interesting to see what the girls think of it. The greens are rapid so it will be a test. It’s a completely different golf course to this week and next.”
Alessandra Fanali on returning to an event she nearly won:
“It feels good to be back. It’s very chill and this course is very playable in any condition which is good as it’s supposed to be wet and windy tomorrow. Honestly, I feel very relaxed this week. Usually I’m not this relaxed at a tournament. I know I’m playing consistent so I don’t have to worry about that.
“I do have a little bit of like, feeling like I want redemption. I know this course and I know I can go low again. I saw yesterday a post from the LET saying that Mimi Rhodes has the course record 62. So I’m thinking I can go out and shoot 61. It’s very doable. It’s funny that my photo is also all over the clubhouse.
“I’ll go out there and just try to play good golf. I love it in Australia so it’s the first time I’ll be playing four events in a row.”
Fanali on continuing to search for her maiden LET victory:
“The win is still the number one goal. Qualifying for the Majors is the second goal.
“Although I’ve now played three years on tour, I still haven’t had that win yet so it still feels like it did in my first year and a half. In my mind, I’ve been trying to achieve that goal for three years. I know a lot of places and a lot of courses now, how to practice more efficiently, so that for sure helps.
“I felt good out on the course in Riyadh. The putts just wouldn’t drop. Swing wise, I changed a little bit during the off-season, trying to get back to where I was at the beginning of 2025 with my iron game.”
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