At only 22, Jeeno Thitikul has done everything but win an LPGA major, and she doesn't want to think about that

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Jeeno Thitikul has remarkable perspective for a 22-year-old LPGA Tour star. She has 46 top-10 career finishes and four career wins. She’s in contention to win as much Caitlin Clark is to make 3-pointers in any given game. She has $10.4 million in career earnings.

But she hasn’t won a major yet.

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Thitikul, who is from Thailand and based in Dallas, has finished at least tied for seventh or better in all five majors. She’s made 18 cuts in 22. She’s undoubtedly the best player on tour who hasn’t won a major yet. She has plenty of time to do so, and she’d love to check that off the list here at the Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods.

“I would see that as, like, a challenging thing,” Thitikul said. “Like one challenge to do. I'm not saying it's stressful because I know I'm still young and a lot of opportunity will come forward.

“I just answer myself if I'm not winning any major [until] I retire, if I’m going to be regret or I'm going to be sad about that, and I would say I'm not. I'm thinking all the things that I have been doing out here on the tour, [if] I have done enough, and then I give it all 100 percent, and I just let it be more natural. If I get it, I'll get it. If not, it's just more things to do, more than life, more than golf.”

For most of the top players, there is extraordinary meaning to winning even one major. Look at the pressure Rory McIlroy faced for not winning the Masters—until two weeks ago—to complete the career Grand Slam.

Thitikul—the current World No. 2 and former No. 1—made her first LPGA appearance as an amateur in the LPGA Honda Thailand at 14 in 2017. Later that year, she won the Ladies European Thailand Championship, becoming the youngest person, at that time, to win a professional golf tournament. She would later win five times on the LET and joined the LPGA in 2022. Her name has been all over leaderboards ever since.

Thitikul has an engaging personality that really shines. Asked if she feels like the hottest player in the world, with six top-12 finishes, including a win, in as many starts this season, she laughed and said: “Like, what?” After the question was repeated, she laughed again. “Hottest in golf and hottest outside of golf?” At first, it seemed she wasn’t sure if the question was based on her looks. Then she got it.

“[It’s] to keep doing good, good, good,” Thitikul said. “… So I'm not saying I'm hottest or I'm not going to say that. I just think … a lot of the talented players have potential out there”

Last year, Thitikul earned a record $6.1 million, and $4 million of that came from winning the CME Group Tour Championship. Not that she needed to worry about missing cuts and not getting paid. She missed only two cuts last season—the last coming in the major Amundi Evian Championship in July after she won the Dow Championship in her previous start. The money givers Thitikul a sense of peace that others don’t have.

“It definitely helps a lot to not really think about [making cuts],” Thitikul said. “… Maybe some people [are] still thinking about the money, what they [are] going to make on the tournaments. But I'm not really thinking about making money.

“For me, it's helpful that I can have all my team. I can hire more physios and stuff, buy GCQuad [launch monitor], which is helpful for golf. And also [I bought] a membership on the golf course here in Dallas. It's just a lot of the things to do with that money.”

And there is this: “Also, I love shopping.”

Last year in the Chevron, Thitikul was leading during the third round even though she’d just returned from a thumb injury. Then play was halted on Saturday by stormy weather, and in a marathon Sunday, Nelly Korda shot 69-69 to win and Thitikul faded with 72-76 to finish solo 12th. She tied for fourth here in 2023 and was T-9 in the Evian that season, but also missed two major cuts. Last year, T-6 in the U.S. Women’s Open was her only top-10 in a major.

So, even if Thitikul says she’s not feeling anxious about getting that first major, the expectations from LPGA followers are still there.

“I don't want to put more pressure into myself on winning the major because I think if you put a lot of pressure on yourself on the golf course I don't think it's a good thing,” Thitikul said.

“I knew that if I just hit and then performing out there, I can be able to do it. Sometimes the mindset, it's also important to do it. If I just be more relaxed and answer the questions that [there’s] doubts or worries, and then get all the stuff off of my head be able to be myself and enjoy and play 100 percent, [the] performance [is] out there.”