World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul took home the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship for a second consecutive season, thanks to a four-shot victory over fellow Thai Pajaree Anannarukarn to round off a dominant 2025.
Thitikul successfully defended her title for a rare back-to-back win that saw her collect the LPGA Tour’s largest winner’s prize of $4 million, along with the 2025 Rolex Player of the Year Award and Vare Trophy for the season’s lowest scoring average of 68.681.
Entering the final day at Tiburón Golf Club, Thitikul held the overnight lead, six strokes ahead of World No. 2 Nelly Korda and Anannarukarn. She opened with a birdie but Anannarukarn sunk three in a row to half Thitikul’s lead. However, the 22-year-old was untouchable. Her only dropped shot was at the 2nd, and it was only her third across all four days.
Anannarukarn fired a 66 and Korda put up a fight of her own with an eagle and back-to-back birdies on the back nine to close with a 68. But it wasn’t enough as Thitikul prevailed with her fourth round in the 60s, carding a 68, and concluding on 26 under to come out on top and don the blue jacket.
“I think earlier in the week I was just saying be able to finish four rounds of golf here more than I could ask for already, but standing here with the trophy on Sunday, hold the trophy, it’s more than I really, really could ask for, for sure. All that work that I put in with my team paid off here today again,” said Thitikul. “I think it’s an honor. Definitely all that Vare Trophy, Player of the Year is always going to be representing how consistent you are in the whole long season, but hold that trophy feel goosebumps because I think it’s had all the history about golf from all the players.”
The Thailand native is the first of her country to be crowned the Player of the Year, but it’s her second time around clinching the Vare Trophy. In a history-making moment, she bested Annika Sorenstam’s (68.696) 2002 record for the lowest single season scoring average, and became only the third player in LPGA Tour history to win the Vare Trophy with a scoring average below 69, joining Sorenstam and Lydia Ko. Thitikul is also only the second player to win consecutive CME Group Tour Championships, following in the steps of Korea’s Jin Young Ko. She is however, the first to take home the $4 million winner’s check in both years since it was only increased in 2024. Despite all the accolades, the World No. 1 remained humble on her success.
“My life still be the same, I guess. I need to hit the ball the same. I need to putt and chip still,” Thitikul said. “All the wins that I have going, anyone can’t take it from me, and then I don’t think it’s going to be a special person, special like people in the whole wide world. I think I been the same human being as you guys. I had to work. I have things to do. I had some happy moment. I had some sad moments. Just you sum up of describing a life.”
Anannarukarn finished runner-up on 22 under, whilst Korda settled for third on 20 under. Mexico’s Gaby Lopez finished a shot further back on 19 under in fourth, and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka rounded off the top 5 on 17 under.
What is the next event?
The next event on the LPGA Tour is Grant Thornton Invitational taking place between 12-14 December at Naples, Florida in the U.S.