ATTHAYA THITIKUL

The Thai teen is the fastest rising star in women’s golf and a formidable force

Why does her name sound familiar?

Maybe because she’s been breaking records for the last five years. The teenager, known as ‘Jeeno’, became the youngest golfer in history to win a professional event – aged 14 years, four months, and 19 days old – at the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship. She also emulated Lydia Ko by claiming low amateur honours twice at the Women’s Open and climbing to the top of the women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2019.

She’s pretty highly rated then?

We namechecked her as one to watch this year after she won twice during her debut season on the LET to win the 2021 Player of the Year Award and Order of Merit. She’s made good on our prediction with two wins and 13 additional top-10 finishes in her rookie year on the LPGA, including three in Major championships. She doesn’t turn 20 until February, but she’s already ascended to the top of the women’s world rankings, becoming the second youngest player after Lydia Ko to reach top spot.

“The golf that Atthaya has been playing has been absolutely amazing,” says Ko. “Having been in that position, I think it’s such a cool experience and it seems like she’s handling all the media pressure really well. That just shows what kind of a world class player she is.”

OK, so how surprised should we be that she’s leapfrogged Jin Young Ko at the top of the women’s rankings?

Maybe not much, given Jin Young Ko has been injured and Thitikul has probably been the standout player this season alongside Lydia Ko. But she has surprised herself. “I hadn’t thought that I would be No.1 in the world that fast,” she says. “And I didn’t think I would achieve this in my first year on the LPGA as well.”

Give me another prediction then, how good can she become?

Every ‘expert’ reckons she’s a Major champion in waiting. We can see her reaching the kind of level Rory has achieved in the men’s game.