20-year-old Thai golfer Atthaya Thitikul has just finished her season without winning a tournament, but she still has a trophy to show for it. She won the LPGA’s scoring title with a 69.533 average over 75 rounds, beating out Hyo Joo Kim by less than a stroke. This marks the first time in the award’s 70-year history that someone has won the scoring title without winning a tournament.
Thitikul’s fifth-place finish at the CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday was her 13th top-10 finish of the season, despite a brief summer slump where she missed two cuts in major events and withdrew after an opening 79 at the Women’s Scottish. However, she bounced back and overcame these challenges to win the Vare Trophy.
“I had no idea I was going to win the Vare Trophy,” Thitikul said with a laugh after locking up the award. “In the middle of the season, I played really bad. So, I think it’s really meaningful for me when I just bounce back from being uncomfortable during that time.”
Thitikul is now just the second Thai player to lift the Vare Trophy, following Ariya Jutanugarn in 2018. Despite not winning any tournaments this season, Thitikul can still take pride in her accomplishments and look forward to what comes next.
