Thitikul seals back-to-back titles at LPGA finale

CME Group Tour Championship - final leaderboard

-26 J Thitikul (Tha); -22 P Anannarukarn (Tha); -20 N Korda (US); -19 G Lopez (Mex); -17 N Hataoka (Jap)

Selected others: -16 K Sei-young (Kor); -13 L So-mi (Kor); -11 L Woad (Eng), C Hull (Eng)

Full leaderboard

World number one Jeeno Thitikul defended her title at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship by holding off fellow Thai Pajaree Anannarukarn by four shots.

The 22-year-old fired a four-under-par 68 to finish on 26-under-par and secure the $4m (£3.1m) winner's prize, along with the LPGA Player of the Year award and Vare Trophy for season low-scoring average in Naples, Florida.

With the triumph at the Tiburon Golf Club, Thitikul became only the second player to win back-to-back LPGA Tour Championship titles - matching South Korea's Ko Jin-young, who emerged winner in 2020 and 2021.

"I love this golf course," said Thitikul, who recovered from a wrist injury to play in the season finale.

"Playing here in the last tournament of the year gives me really good energy.

"Last week in Dallas, I was worried if I would be able to play this week. But I think that was the point, that I'm not thinking too much expecting things. I was just like, I'll be able to play. That's really good enough."

English pair Lottie Woad and Charley Hull finished on 11 under.

Thitikul had started the day six shots clear but saw her lead cut to two with compatriot Pajaree, the last qualifier in the 60-player field, making birdies on the first three holes as well as the sixth and seventh.

However, the leader recovered in the $11m (£8.4m) event with an important birdie on the back nine to improve her advantage to five shots.

Pajaree then made bogey at the par-three 12th and her rival birdied the 13th to reach 25-under.

Birdies at 16 and 17 followed for Pajaree, but Thitikul sealed her success with a birdie on the 18th.