Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul reclaims No. 1 world ranking
Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul has reached No. 1 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings for the second time in her career.
Thitikul, 22, climbed one spot on Monday to pass Nelly Korda, who had held the No. 1 ranking since March 25, 2024.
Thitikul previously earned the No. 1 position on Oct. 31, 2022, and held it for two weeks, joining Ariya Jutanugarn as the second Thai player to ascend to the top.
'I am very grateful to become the No. 1 player in the world for the second time,' Thitikul said. 'This is not just about me -- this is about my family, my team and my friends, not to mention the amazing support I feel from my fans in Thailand and all around the world.
'There are so many incredible golfers competing every week and I will work my hardest to make sure I am a strong representative of our game.'
Thitikul leads the LPGA Tour with eight top-10 finishes this season, including a win at the Mizuho Americas Open in May and strong major finishes at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship (T4) in June and at last month's Amundi Evian Championship, where she lost to Grace Kim in a playoff.
Thitikul finished T30 on Sunday at the AIG Women's Open. Korda placed T36 on Sunday and is still looking for her first tournament win of 2025 after collecting seven titles last year.
Korda's 17-month run at No. 1 raised her career total to 108 weeks atop the Rolex Rankings, making her the sixth player to reach triple digits.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
15 hours ago
- The Star
Opinion - Why the SEA Games must remain untouched by politics
Cambodia hosted the 32nd SEA Games in 2023. - Photo: Supplied PHNOM PENH: A Thai proposal to exclude Cambodia is not just misguided, it's a warning sign for Asean's moral compass. In times of tension, our region does not need louder threats, it needs clearer principles. That is why recent comments from Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports, suggesting that Cambodia could be excluded from the upcoming SEA Games, demand more than quiet dismissal. They demand correction. Let us start with the facts. Cambodia is a full and cooperative member of the SEA Games Federation Council. We are under no sanctions. We have not violated a single rule, nor have we used sport to provoke, retaliate or disrupt. Our athletes are training. Our coaches are preparing. Our participation in the December 2025 Games is rooted in merit, not politics. So when a host minister publicly floats the idea of barring our delegation not due to misconduct, but due to 'public sentiment' and 'safety concerns' the question must be asked: what is the real motive behind the suggestion? Because this is not about sport. It is about narrative control. What we are witnessing is a familiar tactic. When internal pressure builds, when truth becomes inconvenient, governments look outward. They create symbols. They look for something to reject. And in this case, Cambodian athletes are being used as that symbol. The problem with this strategy is not only that it's unjust, but also dangerous. If a host country is allowed to politicise who can or cannot attend the SEA Games, we no longer have sport. We have spectacle. We no longer have neutral ground. We have leveraged terrain. To his credit, the president of the SEA Games Council, Chaiyaphak Siriwat, responded swiftly and clearly. He reminded all parties that the SEA Games are governed by the Olympic Charter, a document built on non-discrimination, neutrality and inclusion. No host nation has the authority to exclude another. Not now. Not ever. Yet the damage from the minister's remarks is already visible. Even without formal enforcement, the idea was seeded. Doubt was created. And that, too, is a form of soft warfare not between armies, but between truths. For Cambodia, we do not respond with outrage. We respond with clarity. We will not step aside. We will not play into the hands of provocation. Our flag will fly in Bangkok. Our athletes will show up. Not because we were permitted, but because we belong. And this is no longer just about Cambodia. This is about Asean. If the region stands by while exclusion is entertained under the language of 'safety' or 'healing', then we endorse a precedent where every future host can wield emotion as a weapon. Tomorrow it may not be Cambodia. It may be another country, another delegation, another excuse. This is not the SEA Games we were told to believe in. This is not the Asean we swore to protect. Sport must remain a space for merit, not manipulation. For unity, not leverage. For healing, not distraction. Cambodia understands this. Our conduct in the 2023 SEA Games proved it when we hosted every nation with dignity, respect and neutrality. The coming months will test not just the border, but the moral border of our region. The line between disagreement and disqualification. Between politics and principle. I ask my readers, fellow Southeast Asians, and institutional leaders to hold that line with us. Because if we surrender it now, there will be no game worth playing. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN [Ponley Reth is a Cambodian writer and commentator based in Phnom Penh. The views and opinions expressed are his own.]
The Star
15 hours ago
- The Star
South-East Asia's rising golf star Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand is now the No. 1 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Ranking
For the second time in her career, Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul has reached No. 1 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. Currently the top golfing superstar in South-East Asia, Thitikul achieved the feat thanks to her tie for 30th at the AIG Women's Open, the final Major tournament of the women's golf season. Thitikul moved one spot on the Rolex Rankings, passing American Nelly Korda, who had held the top spot since March 25, 2024. Thitikul first ascended to the top of the Rolex Rankings on October 31, 2022, and held the position for two weeks. She is the second Thai player to reach Rolex Rankings No. 1, along with Ariya Jutanugarn. 'I am very grateful to become the No. 1 player in the world for the second time. This is not just about me – this is about my family, my team, and my friends, not to mention the amazing support I feel from my fans in Thailand and all around the world,' said Thitikul. 'There are so many incredible golfers competing every week, and I will work my hardest to make sure I am a strong representative of our game.' For the record, Thitikul has recorded eight top-10 finishes this season, the most on the LPGA Tour. She captured the title at the Mizuho Americas Open, finished solo second at the Amundi Evian Championship, and earned a tie for second at the HSBC Women's World Championship. She currently leads the Race to the CME Globe with 2,204.950 points, the Rolex Player of the Year standings with 104 points, and the scoring average standings at 69.511. Thitikul won twice in 2024, starting with a successful partnership at the Dow Championship with China's Ruoning Yin. She then capped the year with a victory at the CME Group Tour Championship, earning the largest single prize in the history of women's golf with the US$4 million winner's check. Thitikul has finished second twice at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia, losing an epic nine-hole play to France's Celine Boutier in 2023 and settling for runner-up again last year, just one shot behind champion Yin. Before joining the LPGA Tour, Thitikul became the youngest player ever to win the Ladies European Tour's Race to Costa del Sol in 2021 while also securing Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honours. At 14 years, 4 months, and 19 days, Thitikul also became the youngest golfer to ever win a professional golf tournament with her victory at the LET's Thailand Championship in 2017. Korda first became No. 1 in June 2021 and has spent 108 total weeks atop the Rolex Rankings, becoming the sixth player to reach triple digits in weeks at World No. 1. Thitikul, Yin, and Korda are also expected to be among the star players for Malaysia's premier golf tournament, the Maybank Championship, scheduled for October 30 - November 2 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC). The tournament over the last few years has seen the world's best players taking part in the tournament, and this year Thitikul will certainly be out to grab the top spot after two runners-up performances.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Sergio vows to shine among big names in Thailand
PETALING JAYA: Sergio Aguero is ready to prove his worth in a star-studded Kanchanaburi Power side in the Thai League One this season. The Malaysian international, who was born in Argentina, knows he faces stiff competition for a starting spot, with the club bringing in several high-profile signings. They include former Tottenham and Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend, ex-Fulham striker Aboubakar Kamara, former Dynamo Kyiv winger Gerson Rodrigues, and former Lens centreback Mehdi Tahrat. Aguero is embracing the challenge. 'It will be difficult, of course as we've 12 foreign players,' admitted Aguero. 'But as I always say, I trust in my quality, and I will do my best to be part of the first eleven.' The Thai side have made headlines for their bold recruitment drive during the pre-season, and Aguero, 31, sees it as a sign of the club's ambition. 'The club are making a big effort to bring big names to fight at the top. It's amazing. This is an opportunity for me to learn and play with the best.' While he has not yet had the chance to link up with former England international Townsend, who only recently arrived, Aguero has already been impressed with French-Mauritanian Kamara, who also played for Monaco once upon a time. 'Kamara has already shown his quality. He's a very good player and also a very good person.' With these top-tier talents, Aguero knows every session is a test and every minute on the pitch must be earned. 'The pre-season is still ongoing and we are going well step by step. The club are building something serious, and we, as players, need to make sure that work pays off on the field.'
