LIV Golf might not have a women’s league yet, but if they ever do, they now know exactly how much it would cost to land the LPGA’s biggest star. Jeeno Thitikul, the current World No. 1 and one of the most consistent players in women’s golf, stunned fans this week when she casually revealed the price tag that could tempt her away from the LPGA and into the arms of a LIV-style breakaway tour.

During the latest episode of Gabbygolfgirl’s wildly popular YouTube series, golf influencer Gabby paired up with Thitikul for a relaxed two-hole round. During the round, Gabby threw out a playful, hypothetical question about a LIV Golf Women’s League coming into the picture and, more importantly, how much money it would take to make Jeeno Thitikul walk away from the LPGA. “So, if — like, out of the blue — they started a LIV Women’s and they paid you $50 million sign-on… But you have to switch. You have to go to LIV. $50 million sign-on. Would you do it? 50 million, or keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll most likely win a lot more,” Gabby asked.

Thitikul laughed, paused, and then leaned into the moment. “That’s a hot one. That’s really hard. Yeah. I will stay. 20,” she said confidently… before thinking again. “But 50… what’s the history like of the most money on women’s golf? Do you know it?” she asked. When Gabby pointed out that no one in women’s golf, not even legends like Annika Sörenstam, had ever hit $50 million in career earnings, Jeeno’s stance shifted. “Then I go 50,” she said, barely missing a beat. And if LIV offered her $40 million? “Oh, 40. Yes.” Thitikul said on the channel.

To put that into context, the all-time LPGA money leader, Annika Sörenstam, retired with $22.5 million in career earnings, over the course of 307 events and one of the most dominant careers the sport has ever seen. Meanwhile, Jeeno Thitikul? She’s already made over $9 million in just the last two seasons alone.

And even that jaw-dropping figure is nothing compared to the kind of money being tossed around in LIV Golf’s orbit. A $50 million sign-on bonus, the number Gabby threw out, would be more than double the entire career earnings of the greatest LPGA player of all time, and almost 5 times Jeeno’s two-year haul, all in one move. In women’s golf, that kind of number isn’t just life-changing; it’ll change history. And now we know, Thitikul has a price, and it’s not as far-fetched as fans might have thought.

But here’s the kicker — while Thitikul’s tone was light and playful, the implications are serious. LIV Golf, with its Saudi-backed funds, has already shaken up the men’s game. And if a women’s league is on the horizon, it may not take long before real offers start floating around on the LPGA.

Jeeno Thitikul’s unexpected revelation takes us back to the deeper conversation about the evolving landscape of women’s golf and how far the LPGA has come in trying to close the gap with the men’s game.

Jeeno Thitikul’s revelation reignites the pay gap debate in women’s golf

Just last year, the LPGA announced that the 2025 season will feature a record-breaking $131 million in prize money across 33 official events — a $14 million jump from 2024, and nearly double the total prize pool from just four years ago.

The CME Group Tour Championship, which Jeeno Thitikul famously won in 2024, now boasts an $11 million purse and a $4 million winner’s prize — the richest single paycheck in women’s golf history.

Beyond the majors, even non-CME events like the FM Championship are crossing the $4 million purse mark, while players are seeing better travel support, stipends, and minimum payouts across the board.

But even with the increase and the changes, the gap between the men’s and the women’s pay remains undeniable, and players like Lydia Ko have called it out. Ko, one of the most decorated players of her generation, didn’t shy away from bringing up the stark pay disparity that plagues not just women’s golf but also other sports.

“We’re very grateful as a tour and as a player to have such immense support… But I do believe that we’ve still got a long way to go. I would like to see a world where there is no comparison between the men and the women because that is still a big thing,” she told Golf Channel a few months ago.

Ko’s words echo the sentiment behind Jeeno’s playful yet pointed answer — that while the LPGA is thriving more than ever, the sheer financial weight of a LIV-type offer, especially in a sport where the gender pay gap is still massive, could be too powerful to ignore. And that tension, between loyalty and legacy versus life-changing money, may soon become a very real decision for more players than just Jeeno Thitikul.