Staff WriterThe CME Group Tour Championship has a habit of exposing pretenders and elevating those with the steel to finish a season with authority. On Friday, Jeeno Thitikul demonstrated why she currently sits atop the Rolex Rankings, producing a composed, clinical and quietly devastating second-round 63 to tie the 36-hole tournament scoring record at 130.
The world No. 1 looked entirely in command as she moved to 14-under-par, her round shaped by nine birdies and not a single blemish. She found 13 of 14 fairways, 17 greens and required only 26 putts—numbers that would flatter most players in a practice round, never mind at the finale of an LPGA season.
It places Thitikul firmly in control of the CME Group Tour Championship, and firmly in control of her own historic trajectory. Her scoring average entering the week stood at 68.877, already within reach of Annika Sorenstam’s longstanding single-season benchmark. Now, with two rounds remaining, she is on pace to surpass it.
Thitikul, though, presented the picture of calm afterwards. “I don’t know. I think we all, especially me, trying just to play golf. We just trying to play golf, 18 holes per day… if you have some time that you can enjoy, enjoy yourself then.”
For all her modesty, the statistics tell a sharper story. Since 2022, she has recorded more rounds of 63 or better than any player on Tour. She leads the season-long points standings, owns 13 top-10 finishes in 2025 alone, and remains in contention for both the Rolex Player of the Year Award and the Vare Trophy.
Kim Holds Position With an Experienced Hand
Sei Young Kim, a former champion at this event, remains one of the few players capable of applying meaningful pressure. Her second successive round in the 60s—this time a polished 66—kept her at 10-under-par. She produced eight birdies, three of them in succession from the 13th to 15th, and displayed the kind of rhythm that suggests she is not likely to fade without resistance.
Her explanation reflected the experience of a player who has learnt to manage both the surge and the stall of tournament golf.
“Just it’s kind of follow the flow sometime but sometime the relax is help… I have to control myself. That’s the biggest one of the tough mentally control, yep.”
Hataoka and Lee Share Third as the Chase Pack Tightens
Nasa Hataoka joined Somi Lee at 9-under after an assured 67 built on seven birdies and steady ball-striking. The former, buoyed by her recent victory at the TOTO Japan Classic, admitted to carrying a little more belief this week.
“A little bit confident, more confident… I really want to win this tournament just because all the top 60 players playing this week.”
Lee, meanwhile, continued her impressive debut at the CME Group Tour Championship, following her opening 64 with a composed 70. Though less explosive than her first round, she hit every fairway and kept herself firmly in contention.
Korda Surges With a Statement Round
Nelly Korda produced one of the standout efforts of the day—a fluent 64 that returned her to familiar territory inside the top five. She recorded nine birdies, including runs of three in a row on both the front and back nine, and finished strongly with birdies at the 17th and 18th.
Her technical reflections were candid, as ever.
“I think you work on something every year… when I play in a lot of wind it starts to sway me a lot… just always working on old tendencies.”
The result leaves her at 9-under, alongside Brooke Henderson and Pajaree Anannarukarn.
Records in Sight
With Thitikul already matching the 36-hole mark, the remaining two records are no longer distant targets—they are plausible outcomes.
Thitikul has never finished outside the top ten at this event. With six LPGA titles and more than $13 million in career earnings, she arrives at this stage of the season equipped with both pedigree and poise.
Her recent run—five successive top-10s—only reinforces her status as the one the rest must chase.
Outlook
Two rounds remain, and although the CME Group Tour Championship has a history of tightening dramatically over the weekend, Thitikul’s authority is unmistakeable. Yet the presence of proven winners—Kim, Hataoka, Korda—ensures she will not simply coast to the finish.
Should she maintain this level, she will not only secure the season’s final title but write her own entry into the LPGA’s statistical history.
Should she falter, the chasing pack is more than capable of turning this into a far more complicated conclusion.
