Jeeno Thitikul saved the best for last with a thrilling final two holes to defeat Angel Yin and win the 2024 CME Group Tour Championship.
Thitikul and Yin dominated the day, playing essentially match play as no other contenders made a serious move. Yin couldn’t miss all day on the green, knocking in putts from everywhere. She had only 26 putts for the round, but even that low number doesn’t do her putter justice. This led to her opening up a lead on the back nine.
The turning point came on 13, where a phone ring made her back off a very makable putt. When she gathered back up, she missed the putt, while Thitikul made a big birdie. Yin rallied back though, including an impressive make on the par 3 16 for birdie.
But Jeeno exploded on the final two holes. On 17, which Jeeno also eagled Saturday, she hit a flawless shot and backed it up with a perfect putt. Angel had her biggest misstep on the greens on that hole, missing a relatively short birdie putt, giving her a par. That set up a tie heading into the final hole, with $4 million on the line.
While both hit great tee shots, Jeeno, arguably the best iron player on the tour, went first. She lived up to her reputation, sticking it close and putting all the pressure on Angel. While Angel hit a solid shot and putt, she ultimately made par. Thitikul stepped up and buried the putt to win the tournament.
It has been a lucrative week for the 21-year-old from Thailand, as Wednesday she was awarded with $1 million as the winner of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. The No. 7 ranked player in the world got her biggest win yet as a budding superstar. This is now her fourth win and second of the season.
