Atthaya Thitikul

Atthaya Thitikul (born 20 February 2003) is a Thai professional golfer who won the Ladies European Thailand Championship as an amateur on 9 July 2017. At the time of winning the tournament, Thitikul was only 14 years 4 months and 19 days old, which made her the youngest golfer ever to win a professional golf tournament.[1]

Atthaya Thitikul
อาฒยา ฐิติกุล
Personal information
NicknameJeen / Jeeno
Born (2003-02-20) 20 February 2003
Ratchaburi, Thailand
Height1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Nationality Thailand
ResidenceRatchaburi, Thailand
Career
Turned professional2020
Professional wins2
Number of wins by tour
Ladies European Tour2
Best results in LPGA major championships
ANA InspirationT30: 2018
Women's PGA C'shipDNP
U.S. Women's OpenDNP
Women's British OpenT29: 2019
Evian ChampionshipT64: 2017
Medal record
Representing  Thailand
Women's Golf
Youth Olympics
2018 Buenos AiresMixed team
Southeast Asian Games
2017 Kuala LumpurWomen's individual
2017 Kuala LumpurWomen's team
2019 PhilippinesWomen's team

Early life

Thitikul was born on 20 February 2003 in Ratchaburi to Montree Thitikul and Siriwan. She first started playing golf at the age of 6 years old.[1] She is popularly known by her nickname "Jeen", or "Jeeno Jat".

2017 season

Her emergence onto the international golf scene came with her victory at Ladies European Thailand Championship on the Ladies European Tour.[1][2] She had already appeared, 3 days after her 14th birthday, in the Honda LPGA Thailand on the LPGA Tour, where she finished 37th out of the 66 competitors.[3] She had earned her place in the field when she finished runner up in the Thailand Amateur Open the previous August, when she was just 13 years and 6 months old.

After competing in the LPGA event, she won the Taiwan Amateur Open that was held three weeks prior to the Ladies European Thailand Championship at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club. Her amateur status meant that she could not claim the 1st prize of 45,000 euros for winning the Ladies European Thailand Championship but it did get her an entry into both the Women's British Open and The Evian Championship in France. She missed the cut at the British Open by a shot but made the cut at the Evian Championship, playing the final two rounds and finishing in 64th place.[4]

Thitikul also competed at the Junior Dutch Open in July. In the final round she carded a course record 8-under-par round to win the tournament by eight clear shots.[5] In August 2017 at the Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia, she won both the individual gold medal and was part of the Thailand team that won the gold event.

2018 season

In February 2018, she competed in the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Singapore, just as she turned 15. She was part of a four-way tie in the final round but went onto to win the title.[6] Her victory earned her a place in the HSBC Women's Champions on the same course, plus entries into the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills, California and for a place in the British Open, for a second year running.

At the HSBC event, she finished in eighth place.[7] At the ANA Inspiration in March 2018 she finished in a tie for 30th place.[8] At the British Open, she was the low amateur, and the only one to make the cut.[9][10]

At the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, Thitikul teamed with Vanchai Luangnitikul to win the mixed team gold medal.

Professional career

Thitikul turned professional in January 2020.[11]

Amateur wins (16)
  • 2016 Singapore Junior Golf Championship qualifier, TGA-Singha Junior Ranking #6, TGA-Singha Junior Ranking #1, TGA-Singha Junior Ranking #3, TGA-Singha Junior Ranking #4, Singha Thailand Junior World Golf Championship qualifier, Singha Thailand Junior World Championships
  • 2017 Taiwan Amateur Championship, Dutch International Junior Open, Southeast Asian Games – Gold Medal, Santi Cup, Pondok Indah International Junior Championship
  • 2018 National Team Ranking # 2, Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific, National Team Ranking #4, The Queen Sirikit Cup, National Team Ranking #5, World Junior Girls Championship, Youth Olympics Games – Gold Medal (Mixed team)
  • 2019 National Team Ranking #4, Thailand Ladies Amateur Open, National Team Ranking #5, World Junior Girls Championship

Source:[12]

Professional wins (2)

Ladies European Tour wins (2)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 9 Jul 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship[1] 70-71-70-72=283 −5 2 strokes Ana Menendez
2 23 Jul 2019 Ladies European Thailand Championship (2)[1] 69-67-63-67=266 −22 5 strokes Esther Henseleit

1 Thitikul won the event as an amateur.

Team appearances

References
  1. "Atthaya Thitikul, 14, becomes youngest ever winner of professional event". BBC Sport. 9 July 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  2. "Just a teenager on a fun day out". Ladies European Tour. 8 July 2017.
  3. "Honda LPGA Thailand – Results". LPGA. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  4. "The Evian Championship 2017". Golf Channel.
  5. "Atthaya schools competition in Dutch Open". Bangkok Post. 24 Jul 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  6. "Thai starlet Atthaya Thitikul secures wire-to-wire win at Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific championship in Singapore". The Nation. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  7. "HSBC Women's World Championship – Results". LPGA. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  8. "ANA Inspiration 2018". Golf Channel. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  9. "Atthaya Thitikul wins Smyth Salver". R&A. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  10. "Atthaya Thitikul earns ANA Inspiration Low Amateur Honors". AmateurGolf.com. 1 April 2018.
  11. "'I am ready': Thai starlet Atthaya turns pro". Bangkok Post. 7 January 2020.
  12. "Atthaya Thitikul". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
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