Who is Jeeno Thitikul and how did she become the No. 1 women's golfer in the world (again)?

Jeeno Thitikul's rise to the top of the women's game didn't come after one magnificent feat, but rather many, many months of world-class consistency.

Thitikul rose to No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings for a second time on Aug. 4 after finishing in a share of 30th at the AIG Women's British Open. That she toppled a player in Nelly Korda who won seven times last season says as much about Korda's lack of firepower in recent months as it does Thitikul's solid play.

The 22-year-old Thitikul's seven top-5 finishes this season includes a victory at the Mizuho Americas Open, the fifth LPGA title of her career, and another win against a strong field on the LET at the 2025 PIF Saudi Ladies International in February.

Here's a look back on how it all got started:

Youngest player to ever win a pro event

Thitikul's name first made international headlines when won the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship as a 14-year-old on the LET. At 14 years, 4 months and 19 days old, it made her the youngest to ever to win a professional title, a record that has since been broken.

That feat came months after she finished 37th at the Honda LPGA Thailand event in Pattaya.

The LET victory gave her berths into the Women's British Open and Evian. She missed the cut at the British by a shot but played the weekend in France, finishing in a share of 64th.

More amateur acclaim for Thitikul

In 2018, she won the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Singapore at age 15, which qualified her for the HSBC Women's World Championship on the LPGA, where she tied for eighth.

She was low amateur at what's now the Chevron Championship and won Smyth Salver at the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, a feat she'd accomplish again the following year at Woburn.

In 2019, she won the Ladies European Thailand Championship for a second time with a closing 67.

She rose to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a short time before turning professional in 2020.

Tough time to turn pro

Thitikul turned professional in January 2020 but saw her inaugural season limited by the global pandemic. She stayed close to home and played on the Thai LPGA Tour, winning five times.

The next year, she began playing full time on the LET, where she won twice and claimed both the Order of Merit title and Rookie of the Year. Later that year, she went to LPGA Q-School, where she finished third to earn her card.

Thitikul begins her LPGA career with a bang

It didn't take long for Thitikul to break through on the LPGA, winning the JTBC Classic in a playoff in only her fifth start as a member. She was 19 years old at the time.

Later that year, she won the Walmart NW Arkansas in a playoff against Danielle Kang. By October, she'd risen to No. 1 in the world at 19 years, 8 months and 11 days old, joining Ariya Jutanugarn as the only Thai players to do so. Only Lydia Ko was younger when she first became No. 1 at 17 years, 9 months.

Thitikul's reign as No. 1 only lasted two weeks, but she went on to win the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors.

Thitikul's a top-10 machine

It seemed like the victories would come in bunches after that rookie campaign, but she was winless in 2023 and didn't win again until June of 2024 when she teamed with good friend Ruoning Yin at the Dow Championship.

Thitikul posted 16 top 10s that rookie season, 13 top 10s in 2023 and a dozen last year.

The consistent play earned her the Vare Trophy in 2023.

To date, Thitikul has 49 top 10s in 76 LPGA starts.

Slowed down by a sore thumb

The 2024 season was slowed down by a thumb injury that forced her to sit out the first quarter of the year, returning at the Chevron Championship.

She'd been experiencing pain in the tendon of her left thumb upon impact, and a doctor advised her to rest six to eight weeks. The injury forced her to make a change in the way she grips the club.

"I think the grip, it's the most important (part) of the swing," said Thitikul at last year's Chevron. "The feeling-wise, when you grip it, yeah, I have to change it because of the injury, to get the less pressure on my left thumb."

What's in a name? Thitikul changes hers midway through season

In August of last year, Atthaya Thitikul decided to go by her nickname "Jeeno" going forward because she thought it would be easier for people to remember.

"I think it's unique and easier than Atthaya," she said.

Thitikul said her mother originally gave her the nickname "Jeen," which roughly translates to "Chinese people" in Thai. Everyone in Thailand has a nickname, she explained, because names are traditionally long.

"Jeen is, like, my mom give it to me because she is 100 percent Thai," Thitikul once explained, "but my dad is Chinese for a little bit. She's, like, oh, I give it for, like, your father is going to like it."

Biggest payday in women's golf

Thitikul hasn't yet won a major, but she can claim the biggest payday in women's golf history. On Sunday at the CME Group Tour Championship last year, she poured in a 25-foot putt for eagle on the 17th hole and knocked a 6-iron to 5 feet on the last to clip Angel Yin by one stroke and claim the $4 million prize. The gutsy performance came after she won $1 million earlier in the week for claiming the Aon Risk Reward Challenge.

That’s $5 million in one week.

And yet, the thought that popped into Thitikul’s mind as she stepped onto the 18th tee at Tiburon Golf Club Sunday was that it’s not about the money.

“That word like pop up in my mind on 18 tee box, that we not here for prize money,” said Thitikul. “We’re here for like grow(ing) the game of golf.”

Still awaiting a major break through

There's no question that Thitikul remains the best player on tour without a major title. That much was clear long before she rose to No. 1 for a second time. The drumbeat to win one grows louder with each passing season, though she downplays it when asked.

"I'm pretty happy with all I've achieved," she said ahead of this year's KPMG Women's PGA. "If I can get it, it would be great, but if not, I don't have anything to regret about."

Thitikul has nine top 10s in 27 major starts. Her lone top 3 came last month at the Amundi Evian when she lost in a playoff to Grace Kim, who pulled off a string of spectacular shots for the ages.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Who is Jeeno Thitikul and how did she become No. 1 in the world?