The LPGA season is officially over, and we have a phenom to reckon with. Jeeno Thitikul won the CME Group Tour Championship for the second consecutive year. The young Thai sensation did not let any player bypass her and dominated the leaderboard through and through. But of course, some of these were not without setbacks. During her post-match presser, Thitkul opened up on a major health back crisis she had to deal with to get to the $11 million.

Battling a wrist injury is how Thitikul won the tournament with 26-under par. She felt it a week before the event, while at home in Dallas. That was a cause of concern, and Thitikul had to brace herself in. “I still practice like the day after I felt, but I mainly focus on, you know, the short games putting-wise, chipping-wise.”

As Jeeno Thitikul closely monitored the pain, she knew she had a problem far more serious than it looked. By Saturday, she stopped practicing. “I didn’t practice on Saturday and Sunday because I want to be able to play this week. I think stop is the good choice to protecting my wrist,” she reflected.

That kept the inflammation from flaring up. When she arrived at Tiburon Gold Course, her practice sessions were balanced. She only hit nine holes on Monday to check her wrist, no hits on Tuesday, and then a controlled pro-am round on Wednesday. Midway through the round, she realised her strategy had worked. “Okay, I think I was able to play,” she sighed in relief.

The opening round came, and the pain faded to what she had described as “almost 100%.” She had to defend her title, and she did it with poise. She only made three bogeys on the four days and carded all those rounds in the 60s. Two of them were a 63 and a 64. Thitikul now becomes the second athlete to win back-to-back CME Group Tour Championship titles. The other name is Jin Young-Ko.

Her wisdom might have also come from the similar situations her fellow players went through. Charley Hull battled the year with multiple injuries and illnesses, which affected her season. She could only secure one win. At Naples, she finished off at T19. On the other hand, Thitikul’s direct rival, Nelly Korda, also went winless this season after a massive success last year. She too suffered from fatigue and neck injuries, which could have played their part in jeopardizing her performance. She secured a solo third at this event.

All in all, Jeeno Thitikul’s decision to ease up and rest worked. That could also be because she had suffered from an injury setback previously as well.

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Physical setbacks are not new for Jeeno Thitikul

Thitikul’s 2024 season was also marred by a significant injury. Her year started with a left thumb tendon issue, which was so severe that she had to take time off for 6-8 weeks. That rest led to her changing her swing grip entirely just so she could reduce pressure on her thumb. This is something similar to what Somi Lee also did recently. For Thiktul, rest and relearning the mechanics worked. She returned at the Chevron Championship to secure a solo 12th.

Even earlier this year, there were signs of struggles. A series of physical setbacks meant she could not meet the minimum rounds for the Vare Trophy. Even at the Kroger Queen City Championship, her frustration bubbled up, and she four-putted the final hole, giving the victory to England’s Charley Hull. Learning from her mistakes, she took time off in Canada to reset and stabilize herself. Her return proved that whatever she is doing is clearly working.