KUALA LUMPUR: For two years, victory at the Maybank Championship eluded Jeeno Thitikul, who twice finished second best.
The World No. 1 returns to the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club this week, determined to go one better.
“I think I have really good memories here,” she said today.
“Were in the playoff with Celine (Boutier) for nine holes, and then last year I had an excellent finish. Came in second, but hats off to Ronni (Yin Ruoning) for what she did last year.”
Thitikul, who recently won the Buick LPGA Shanghai, is in the form of her life. The 22-year-old Thai star has bagged three titles this season – the Mizuho Americas Open, CME Group Tour Championship, and Shanghai – and yet, this time in Malaysia, she feels deeply personal.
“I think the course is in excellent condition as always,” she said.
“It just feels comfortable to play here. The course, the weather, and the fans… it seems like a second home to me. I feel like it’s a mini Thailand.”
It is easy to see why. The crowds adore her, the conditions suit her, and the course has rewarded her. But Thitikul insists that her motivation goes beyond trophies.
“I think golf taught me to be humble,” she said.
“It doesn’t mean you’re going to have a good day every day, so you have to accept the bad as well. That’s why I still love it.”
Now in her fourth LPGA season, Thitikul has matured from prodigy to standard-bearer for Asia’s new generation. She carries her world No. 1 ranking philosophically, treating each tournament as a lesson rather than a burden.
“Golf is never a game where you get 100 per cent.
“Some weeks the driver works, some weeks it doesn’t. I’ve learned not to expect everything to go perfectly. If I can do 70 per cent today, I try to be 80 per cent tomorrow. That’s how I grow.”
That attitude has made her a role model for young Thai golfers, several of whom are competing in this week’s no-cut, RM12.6million event.
“It means a lot to me to see more Thai players on the (LPGA) Tour,” she said.
“I’m not going to be here forever, so it’s part of my job to inspire the next generation. I hope they can do even better than me.”
After two near-misses, Thitikul’s relationship with the Maybank Championship has become one of respect and resolve. Her pursuit of victory is no longer about redemption, but evolution, about proving to herself that she can keep growing, even at the top.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
