It’s over. The LPGA streak that produced 26 different winners on the LPGA in 25 events ended when world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul won on the fifth playoff hole at the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
The first two-time winner this season on the LPGA, Thitikul was four shots down with five holes to play and managed to force a playoff against Minami Katsu after recording three birdies and an eagle down the closing stretch in regulation. The closing 63 put her tied with Katsu at 24 under for the tournament. Katsu posted a bogey-free 65 in the final round.
After trading pars over the first four playoff holes, Thitikul struck a brilliant approach to 3 feet on the fifth extra hole, No. 10, to seal her sixth career victory. The triumph comes one month after the 22-year-old Thai sensation four-putted the 72nd hole in her last start at the Kroger Queen City Championship to lose by one stroke to Charley Hull.
“I just going to say thanks God,” said Thitikul. “That make me working hard to even like, you know, come to here. What happens on the last event definitely still in my mind, but like to be able to prove myself again this tournament, which is just such like a dream come true.”
This marks Thitikul’s first victory while ranked No. 1 in the world and is her fourth consecutive top 10 (T-7, 2, 2, 1) It’s the fifth playoff of the season on the LPGA and the first since the Amundi Evian Championship, where Thitikul lost a heartbreaker to Grace Kim.
Katsu broke both the 18-hole and 36-hole tournament records after a brilliant second-round 61. She held the lead for the first time on tour after both Friday’s and Saturday’s rounds. The Japanese player now has two runner-up finishes on the LPGA, including the 2025 AIG Women’s British Open.
In regulation play, Katsu knew she needed to do something special on the par-5 17th with Thitikul staring down an eagle putt. Katsu chipped in for birdie to hold a share of the lead going into the 72nd hole.
“Definitely a great experience,” said Katsu, an eight-time winner on the JLPGA. “I’m sure that I’ll have more opportunities like that. I also noticed that I can become a lot more stronger, so I’m really excited for the future.”
Minjee Lee finished solo third at 19 under, five back. Defending champion Ruoning Yin returned from a two-month break from the LPGA and tied for 26th.
Extreme heat wreaked havoc on the greens at Qizhong Garden Golf Club. The less-than-ideal conditions, however, didn’t keep players from making putts. Both Thitikul and Katsu took 25 putts in the final round.
Thitikul enjoyed some downtime vacationing in Banff before heading to over for the Asia swing. She tied for fifth last year in her Shanghai debut.
“Not going lie, cried quite a lot,” she said of the aftermath from Kroger.
“And then I do have like, you know, a really amazing off week, which is we spend time with no golf in Canada and then just like remind me that whatever it’s happen, it’s the past. And then I’m a human, which is I make a mistake for sure, and then everyone does.
“And then I was just like trying to be back and then practicing and then earning — I mean, like I just kept told myself — whatever is happen in dramatic events, not just Cincinnati, but in this year, I just told myself that I need to earn it by myself. Every win or every work that you — the winner is just only one players and then I have to earn it by myself, and then when it’s my time, I will want to be in that moment again and did it by myself again.”
Faced with another short putt with everything on the line, Thitikul told herself, whatever happens, happens. And she pictured the faces of her mom and dad back home in Thailand before sinking the putt.
Thitikul leads the LPGA’s Rolex Player of the Year race and Vare Trophy race for low scoring (68.95). Both awards come with an LPGA Hall of Fame point.
