World No.1 puts an end to this crazy LPGA streak with incredible comeback win in Shanghai

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[PHOTO: Hu Chengwai]

World No.1 Jeeno Thitikul took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly and let out a huge sigh of relief. The 22-year-old had just made a four-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to win the Buick LPGA Shanghai over Minami Katsu and end a crazy LPGA streak by becoming the LPGA Tour’s first multiple winner in 2025.

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Thitikul exorcised some demons, too.

It was a thrilling comeback for Thitikul, who trailed Katsu by four shots with five holes left. Thitikul roared back on Sunday and shot a final-round nine-under 63 at Qizhong Garden Golf Club. The Thai golfer shot 65-70-66-63–264, catching Katsu at 24-under overall. Australia’s Minjee Lee finished third at 19-under-par.

Thitikul made birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes. She then made an eagle on the 17th to play the last five holes at five under and force the playoff.

The real test for Thitikul was all those putts she holed from inside five feet throughout the tournament, but especially Sunday. Just last month, she had all but won the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati until she four-putted the final hole, allowing Charley Hull to claim victory. That was admittedly on Thitikul’s mind.

“I think my last tournament got me kind of [in] doubt for sure,” Thitikul said. “But to be standing out here and then getting that again after that week… I can’t answer it by myself. I wrote myself a note about it, wrote all the things that happened in my career by myself, so I have nothing to be afraid of anymore.”

Thitikul has 54 career top-10 finishes, so those were undoubtedly on that note that surely served as a pep talk. She flourished in her role of coming-from-behind and chasing down Katsu, who was searching for her first LPGA win. The native of Japan played a bogey-free final round with a seven-under 65, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the world’s top player.

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Thitikul played in the final group with Katsu, who led by two shots after 54 holes. They were cheering each other on after good shots and acknowledged the crowd that didn’t seem to mind the heat since they were treated to a fantastic duel. They both parred the first four playoff holes. On the fifth playoff hole at the par-4 10th, Thitikul hit a fantastic approach shot from 110 metres to four feet and made the nerve-rattling putt for birdie to win.

“I knew that one of us need to make a birdie to be able to win the tournament,” Thitikul said. “So I think I just had a really good yardage on 10, [used a] pitching wedge, which is I didn’t hit quite [well] in the playoff, but the last one was the best one so far. To have it not be too far from the pin and be able to hole the putt, I think it just released off everything that I have on my mind with the last putt.”

To get to the fifth playoff hole, Thitkul had to survive the second. Playing Qizhong Garden’s 18th hole once again, Thitikul hit her tee shot left and in water. She survived that mistake. After she dropped and hit a great approach shot to two feet and made her par putt. Katsu parred as well.

Thitikul won $US330,000 of the $US2.2 million purse in China for her sixth career LPGA win. But having won the Mizuho Americas Open in May, she had become the first player in 26 LPGA events in 2025 to win for a second time.

The bigger victory was proving to herself that she could make those putts under pressure. Asked how she recovered after squandering the win in Ohio, she said: “Definitely cried a lot. Not going to lie, cried quite a lot. And then I had a really amazing off week, which we spent with no golf in Canada. Just reminded me that whatever happens, it’s the past. And then I’m a human, which is why I make a mistake for sure, and then everyone does.

“I just kept telling myself, whatever happen in dramatic events, not just Cincinnati, but this year, that I need to earn it by myself and then when it’s my time, I will want to be in that moment again and do it by myself again.”