Welcome to this week’s Golf Insider, everyone! Happy to have you here.
On Sunday, Aug. 16, Jeeno Thitikul crept into double digits with wins on the LPGA Tour. She edged past four of her compatriots from Thailand to win The Standard Portland Classic. It was Thitikul’s 10th career LPGA title and third win of the 2026 season.
Thitikul started the final round two strokes behind leaders Sophia Schubert and Arpichaya Yubol. She was in prime position to chase for the trophy, but she really had to put her head down and grind out her victory. Several other competitors were still in the hunt as well.
The 23-year-old shot a stunning final-round 64, a score just one stroke higher than her 2026 low score. I mean, come on. How can you beat an 8-under final round? Well, Chanettee Wannasaen posted a final-round 63 (-9) to finish one stroke behind Thitikul. The golf course was simply giving out birdies, and players saw the green light to attack the pins when it mattered most.
Generally, though, the trend is that when Jeeno goes low, she wins. Each of her four rounds last week were in the 60s. A final-round 64 is a ridiculous mountain for competitors to climb. How Thitikul played during the last round of the tournament emboldened her, paving the way to her 10th LPGA Tour victory, but absolutely demoralized the rest of the field.
This win marks a few huge milestones for Thitikul and for Thailand. She’s now two wins behind Ariya Jutanugarn in the race to become the winningest player on the LPGA Tour from Thailand. She’s also the first player since Nelly Korda to reach the threshold of 10 wins on tour. Thitikul also joins Korda as the only player so far to win at least three times in the 2026 season.
But here’s a stat that really sticks out to me: Thitikul is the fourth player in LPGA history to have double-digit wins with no major championships since 1980. This says something positive and negative about Thitikul’s game. The positive: she’s clearly able to win, which holds weight when being considered as one of the best players in the world. The negative: she can’t break through at a major to really solidify herself in those conversations.
Let’s take a step back, though, and remember that Thitikul is 23 years old. Think about where you were when you were 23. My last days of being 23 were about two months ago. She has accomplished more in professional, let alone competitive golf than most of the world ever will. While I think she needs to capitalize on the peak seasons of her game, I also think that Thitikul has time to make her major breakthrough. Maybe next season will be the one.
Thai-tanium
Yes, this is my favorite restaurant in Indianapolis, but I have to borrow the name because it’s such a fitting pun to describe the leaderboard in Portland.
Five Thai golfers finished inside the top-10 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. The champion, Thitikul, had to fend off Wannasaen’s low round of the week as well as combat Yubol’s 67 (-5). She was forced to look her compatriots in the eye and one-up them. Ultimately, Wannasaen and Yubol tied for second place, rounding out the all-Thai top-three.
For Yubol, this was the third runner-up finish she’s had this season. She says that each week, she can see herself winning but just hasn’t yet broken through.
“I can see my image in my head, like with the trophy, like too close. It’s really close. So just keep doing like what you do. Just keep thinking like positive and then like enjoy with your game,” Yubol said during a post-tournament press conference on Aug. 16.
Wannasaen is in a similar boat. Unbelievably, Despite shooting a bogey-free 63, she felt like she didn’t have her A-game during that final round.
“Actually today is not like a perfect day. I didn’t hit like driver that good. I didn’t hit like approach shot like that good. I mean, like it’s good but it’s not like perfect shot,” Wannasaen said during a post-tournament press conference on Aug. 16.
These comments just display the winning mindset these players have. Sure, a 63 is great, but if a trophy doesn’t come as a result of it, there’s still work to be done. The bar is extremely high for these players; that’s just how competitive they are.
Pajaree Anannarukarn finished tied for fifth place after a final-round 67, and Suvichaya Vinijchaitham finished tied for eighth after a final-round 66. When I said the golf course was handing out final-round low scores, you can see what I meant.
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Rose Zhang gets back on track
A positive result this week was for Rose Zhang, who notched her first top-10 finish since she finished her degree and graduated from Stanford. Zhang tied for eighth place. All four of her rounds in the City of Roses were under par, including a Friday 65 (-7) and a final-round 68.
Now, we can talk extensively about Zhang’s journey from amateur stardom to professional breakthrough. We can also praise her commitment to keeping her LPGA Tour card and pursuing her degree at Stanford. It’s incredibly difficult to make the choice to go pro in the middle of college. But in doing so, Zhang didn’t leave behind her desire to be a student.
“I think I had to — these last two, three weeks was when I had to come with the fact and sit with the fact that I will be Rose the golfer. I think for a long time I was always one foot into academia and one foot into the professional world and actually playing, but I’ve never really thought of myself as two feet into the pro career,” Zhang said on March 17 in a press conference before the Fortinet Founders Cup.
“This whole year really in my opinion will be my first official rookie year of like, okay, this is where I’m going to take this game on and see how best I can do in the sport.”
And here Zhang is, diploma in hand (or on the wall), fully able to focus on her LPGA career. I continue to be impressed by her.
U.S. Solheim Cup spots clinched
After the cut at the Portland Classic, Auston Kim and Yealimi Noh both secured their spots on the 2026 U.S. Solheim Cup team. It’ll be Kim’s first Solheim Cup appearance, marking the 70th different player to ever compete on a U.S. Solheim Cup squad. Noh appeared in the 2021 Solheim Cup. She posted a 2-1-0 record that included a singles victory over Mel Reid, who’s now a vice captain for Europe’s Solheim Cup team.
Lauren Coughlin also clinched her spot on the U.S. side after finishing tied for 18th in Portland. This will be Coughlin’s second Solheim Cup appearance. She was one of four Americans to go defeated in 2024 in her home state of Virginia and will certainly be bringing that energy to the Netherlands next month.
This week at the CPKC Women’s Open is the last chance for U.S. players to qualify for the Solheim Cup through the points standings. Then, the top two players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings who are not already qualified will earn their spot. Three picks from captain Angela Stanford will follow on Aug. 24. Things are slowly shaping up for September.
See you next week for more news, golf fans.
This week in women’s golf
Solheim Cup News
Lauren Coughlin clinches spot on 2026 U.S. Solheim Cup team
Auston Kim and Yealimi Noh secure spots on 2026 U.S. Solheim Cup team
Trackman announced as partner to the 2026 Solheim Cup
Van Dam announces European team for 2026 PING Junior Solheim Cup
LPGA News
Featured groups: 2026 CPKC Women’s Open
Field breakdown: 2026 CPKC Women’s Open
How to watch the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open
2026 FM Championship to offer exciting experience for fans
Jeeno Thitikul rallies with a 64 to win in Portland
Dow Championship announces tournament dates for 2027
Maria McBride claims first LPGA Legends Championship title
U.S. Senior Women’s Open News
Fast facts for 2026 U.S. Senior Women’s Open
Inside the field: 8th U.S. Senior Women’s Open
The past and present dance together at the USSWO
Juli Inkster runs a fantasy football league
LET News
Hillier back to her best with T2 finish in Switzerland
Tan wins Player of the Month for July 2026
Givens claims maiden LET title with comeback win in Switzerland
Aussies play in tribute to Jessica Bang after tragic passing
Epson Tour News
Things to know about the 2026 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic
Field breakdown: 2026 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic
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Five at The IX: Brooke Henderson set to defend as LPGA Tour heads to Edmonton for CPKC Women’s Open
THE MODERATOR: All right, joining us ahead of the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open is our defending champion, Brooke Henderson. Brooke, last year you became a two-time winner of this event. Can you just reflect a little bit on the win last year?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it was so special to win last year again. Winning in 2018 was a huge career highlight, dream come true, and to be able to relive that again last year was so special.
The last victory that my sister was also on the bag for since she’s been at home with her new daughter, so it’s just been so much meaning to it. And having my family and friends run out onto the green after the victory was so cool.
It had been a little while since I had won on Tour, so I feel like doing it at home in front of all the crowds and fans that supported me all week was really awesome.
Q. We talked a little bit about this when you were here in July. Why do you think you don’t feel sort of the weight of the spotlight in this tournament? You seem to just thrive on it, but that’s not easy to do.
HENDERSON: No, I think this week is very demanding and it’s a very special week. I look forward to it every year in terms of it’s a week that I would love to peak for, just like the other majors out on Tour.
And I think for the most part I’ve been able to really use the energy and the atmosphere of all the fans that come out to support me. There is so much love and so much just positive energy from them. I feel like I’ve been able to use that to my advantage a lot of years, which is really exciting.
I’m just trying to go out and play my best and trying to make it exciting for them, especially if I can get some good rounds together.
Last year coming down the stretch I felt like I was in a really great place and I had the support behind me. I knew Minjee was not going to go away. She’s a really tough competitor. It’s just — that’s kind of what you dream of, kind of being in those situations and in those moments.
To be able to come out on top last year was really cool.
Q. How do you feel about your game heading into this week?
HENDERSON: The summer has been great. Having two back-to-back really top major finishes in the middle of the summer felt really like my game was back to kind of how it used to be couple years ago.
That kind of has given me a lot of confidence and a lot of momentum for the rest of this year. I’m hoping to continue to use that this week.
Q. It is no secret there is obviously another young generation of Canadian stars coming up in the LPGA Tour and soon to be on the LPGA tour. Anna Huang won twice, Aphrodite of course had a really nice run last year. When you look at that generation, how does that make you feel? What do you think about the next generation of Canadian stars?
HENDERSON: I think it’s really exciting. The game in Canada is really growing and to see success from those ladies coming up is really cool. I feel like it’s been a long time since that’s been the case, or maybe ever, to have this many players playing this well, so I think the future is really bright and I think exciting this week.
I think there are 15 Canadians in the field, and I think for Canadian fans that’s very exciting. Everyone will enjoy seeing all the maple leafs around the course.
Q. Just wanted to ask you about your mental approach to the game and how it’s changed over the years.
HENDERSON: Yeah, I mean, sometimes I look back to the 17 year old self and I think she had to figured out pretty well. Sometimes I kind of think back to the mindset that I approached the tournaments with when I was that age and when I was her. I try to use it now because I feel like there wasn’t a lot of fear. There was just a lot of determination and I guess trying to prove myself in a way and … not really worried about too much outside noise.
So I can really appreciate that, and I definitely think back on it. In other ways I think in patience on the course I’ve definitely grown a lot and just being able to handle poor rounds better.
So I feel like it’s been a bit of a mix of learning from the past and then also just like leaning into what worked really well in the past as well.
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