Jeeno Thitikul claims victory at CME Group Tour Championship with a one-shot lead

Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul shot a 7-under-par 65 to secure a one-shot victory at the CME Group Tour Championship and claim the $4 million first-place prize, the largest in the history of professional women's golf, on Sunday in Naples, Florida.

Tied with Angel Yin going into the final round at Tiburon Golf Club, Thitikul started strong with three birdies in her first seven holes and finished with an eagle on the par-5 No. 17 and a birdie on No. 18.

\"I'm not sure what happened to me on 17 and 18,\" Thitikul said after her fourth LPGA Tour win. \"I made a birdie on 17, which gave me a good chance, but getting an eagle was more than I could have asked for. And then hitting a really good second shot on 18 and sinking the putt, it's just like all the hard work I've put in has paid off.\"

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The 21-year-old Thitikul recorded a total of six birdies, one eagle, and one bogey, on the par-4 No. 4 hole, to finish at 22-under 266 in the LPGA's season finale. This win also makes her the 2024 Race to the CME Globe champion.

As for the $4 million payout, Thitiful already has plans for the money.

\"I'm definitely going to spend it,\" she said with a laugh. \"That's the honest answer. I'll spend it for a little while, but I also want to save some for my parents. I've been doing a lot of shopping, so don't tell them I've been spending all the money.\"

Yin had a bogey-free round with six birdies but fell just short with a 6-under 66, finishing one shot behind Thitikul at 21-under 267.

\"I had a lot of positives, hitting the ball well,\" Yin said. \"I'm happy because this is a golf course that I haven't played well on before. This is my best finish here.\"

New Zealand's Lydia Ko had the best round of the day with a 9-under 63, moving up nine spots to finish third, five shots behind the leader. Ko had nine birdies, including three in a row on holes 7-9, and played without any bogeys.

China's Ruoning Yin (68 on Sunday) finished in fourth place, followed by World No. 1 Nelly Korda (66) and Narin An (68) of South Korea tied for fifth. Korda had six birdies in a bogey-free round but couldn't catch the leaders after a first-round 72.

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\"I'm definitely motivated and proud of how this year went,\" Korda said. \"A year ago, I never would have thought I would have seven wins in one season and another major championship.\"

Lexi Thompson, who announced earlier this year that this would be her last full season on tour, shot a 2-over 74 and finished tied for 49th at 2-under 286.

\"It was very emotional,\" she said. \"It didn't really hit me until I got to the 9th hole for some reason. It all just hit me at once.\"