Staff WriterIf you came to the Buick LPGA expecting polite pars and handshakes, you picked the wrong week. What Shanghai got instead was sudden-death theatre—a brutal five-hole playoff, a bruised golf ball or two, and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul finally gutting it out over Japan’s Minami Katsu in a finish that would have made Hollywood blush.
Thitikul, the Rolex World No. 1, needed every ounce of stubbornness and steel she owns to win her first Buick LPGA title and her second victory of the 2025 season. She did it the hard way, carding a ridiculous final-round 63, then riding out a playoff that refused to end.
Katsu matched her par for par over the first four extra holes, and when Thitikul found water off the tee on the second playoff hole, you could practically hear Japan warming up the victory headlines.
But then she did something only champions do—she knifed her third to a few feet and coolly saved par. On the fifth playoff hole, she finally landed the knockout: a birdie that sealed it.
It was arresting, nervy, and downright exhausting golf. In other words—magnificent.
Grinding Under Pressure
Thitikul’s win was her sixth on the LPGA Tour and made her the first Thai player ever to win the Buick LPGA Shanghai. More than a trophy haul, this was redemption. Only weeks ago she watched victory slip through her fingers in gut-punch style in Cincinnati. She didn’t hide the scars:
“Definitely cried a lot. Not going lie, cried quite a lot,” Thitikul said. “…whatever it’s happen, it’s the past… I just kept told myself… 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.”
Her weekend card would make a video game blush—five under in her last five holes, including three consecutive birdies and an eagle on 17. For bonus points, she took only nine putts on her closing nine holes. That’s not just hot—that’s lava.
Katsu Proves She Belongs
At 24-under, Minami Katsu didn’t lose this tournament; she simply ran into a buzzsaw that refused to stop swinging. Her bogey-free 65 in the final round kept her toe-to-toe with Thitikul. She rolled 25 putts on Sunday—same as the champion—and broke both the 18-hole (61) and 36-hole scoring records earlier in the week.
Her honesty afterwards summed it up: “I didn’t know about that, there were no multiple winners this season… it’s very competitive out here and I feel like there is a chance for everyone.”
This was her first playoff on the LPGA Tour and second runner-up finish of the season after the AIG Women’s Open. Something tells me it won’t be long until she swaps silver for gold.
Minjee Lee: Class Even in Third
In third, finishing five shots back at -19, Minjee Lee closed with a 68—not enough to challenge but enough to remind everyone she’s always lurking. She played the role of witness to the Thitikul–Katsu duel:
“They both played unbelievable… I felt like I got outplayed today, and I definitely did.”
Other Notables
- Jenny Bae (T4) kept it simple: “Just be confident and stroking your putt I feel like I’m be set for a good tournament.”
- Lindy Duncan (T7) continues to swing the sword for tour veterans: “I’m pretty old compared to everybody else… it’s really fun.”
- Amateur Ying Xu finished T7, collecting two LEAP points to move to four total.
- Ruoning Yin finished T26 in her first start since August’s AIG Women’s Open.
Thitikul by the Numbers
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| 2025 Race to CME Rank | 1 |
| 2025 LPGA Tour Wins | 2 |
| 2025 Top 10s | 11 |
| 2025 Season Earnings | $3,470,095 |
| Career LPGA Wins | 6 |
| Career Earnings | $13,261,165 |
Thitikul now trails fellow Thai star Ariya Jutanugarn by six career LPGA wins. At this rate, she’ll catch her before the decade’s out—and do it smiling.
Competitive Depth on Display
Even A Lim Kim, who finished 10th at -15, admitted the bar keeps rising: “Competition more harder than before… I will chase up, so more good motivation for me.”
She’s right. With scoreboards being set on fire weekly, the Buick LPGA reminded us of one truth—women’s golf is no longer just competitive. It’s ruthless. And it’s damn good entertainment.
