Jeeno Thitikul Win Lotte Championship 2026 Title in Hawaii
Thai Star Battles Back From Water and Sand Trouble at 16 With Clutch Birdies on 17 and 18, Beats Ina Yun by Three Strokes for 11th Career LPGA Title
Jeeno (Atthaya) Thitikul claimed the LOTTE Championship 2026 in Hawaii, United States, closing out the final round of LPGA action with a total score of -21 to secure her fourth title of the season and earn prize money exceeding USD450,000.
The world number two produced a heart-stopping turnaround down the closing stretch, overcoming a costly collapse that threatened to derail her tournament lead before recovering in dramatic fashion to seal victory.
Thitikul's command of the leaderboard was thrown into jeopardy at the 16th hole, where she found water off the tee before following up with a shot that landed in a bunker, ultimately carding a costly double bogey. The disaster saw her commanding lead evaporate entirely, pulling her level with South Korea's Yoon In-a at 19-under-par as the tournament hung in the balance with just two holes remaining.
Rather than wilting under the pressure, Thitikul responded with composure befitting her status as one of the tour's elite performers. The Thai star sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to regain the advantage, before closing out her round with a further birdie on the 18th — a finish strong enough to defeat the South Korean by three strokes and secure her fourth LPGA Tour title of the season, and the 11th of her career.
For runner-up Yoon In-a, her own challenges arrived at the 17th hole, where a drive into the water led to a bogey before she settled for par on the closing hole to finish with a total score of -18.
Japan's Miyu Yamashita rounded out the podium in third place with a total score of -17
The victory carries significance beyond the trophy itself. Thitikul's result moves her up to second place in the Race to the CME Globe standings, the season-long points race that determines qualification for November's lucrative season finale. Despite remaining second in the world rankings, her haul of four titles this season now matches the tally achieved by world number one Nelly Korda, underlining the Thai golfer's remarkable consistency at the top of the women's game throughout 2026.
Following the conclusion of competition in Hawaii, the LPGA Tour moves to Asia for a four-event swing, beginning with the Buick LPGA Shanghai in China from October 15-18 — a tournament where Thitikul herself claimed victory back in 2025, setting up an intriguing title defense as she looks to extend her dominant season into the Asian leg of the tour.
Credit Photo : LPGA
