August 2025 brought good things for Jeeno Thitikul. For the second time in her career, she was the #1 golfer, and she was nothing but “grateful” for it. It was her tied 30th finish at the AIG Women’s Open that helped her dethrone 2024 Superstar Nelly Korda, who had been at the apex since March 25, 2024. But who knew that just weeks after reaching the top, Thitikul would have another thing to celebrate so soon?

As per recent reports, Thitikul’s lead to #1 is as large as the deficit she trailed by back in May. Thanks to her T2 finish at the Kroger Queen City Championship, she now has 443.23 points to her name. This is 109.88 points more than what Nelly has. The Thai golfer will now be leading the field at the Buick LPGA Shanghai, where she will be looking to further extend her lead. This would make Jeeno really elated, just like she was when she became number 1.

Jeeno is the second Thai golfer to reach the top of the ranking. Knowing this, she could not contain her happiness.

“I am very grateful to become the No. 1 player in the world for the second time. This is not just about me – this is about my family, my team and my friends, not to mention the amazing support I feel from my fans in Thailand and all around the world,” said Thitikul. “There are so many incredible golfers competing every week, and I will work my hardest to make sure I am a strong representative of our game.”

Jeeno Thitikul’s consistency is also something to take notice of, as she has secured 11 top 10 finishes in 17 events she has attended in this season. She won the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open, finished solo second at the Amundi Evian Championship, and tied for second at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. She also currently leads the Race to the CME Globe with 2.9K points. Now, as happy as this news is for Jeeno, things are not looking that great for Nelly.

After her breakthrough season last year with 7 wins, expectations for her were very high. In 2025, in the 17 events she has played, a win has not been there. Right now, as well, Nelly is not fit enough to compete. She has withdrawn from the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown due to an injury.

“I would say by this time of the year my body is definitely worn down,” she told reporters. “I do have some injuries I’ve had in the past that kind of linger that are never really fully resolved, that you still do PT on every single day, you do therapy. So making sure you’re 100 percent with your body or as 100 percent as you can be is always the end goal going into kind of the first day of the event,” she added when asked about her withdrawal.

For a player who seemed unstoppable just a few months ago, this drought showcases the challenges of maintaining dominance in an increasingly talented LPGA field. Further adding to Nelly’s pressure, the LPGA Tour achieved an incredibly rare milestone this season. The Tour saw 26 unique winners in 25 events, highlighting the abundance of talent and the growing competition in the LPGA Tour scene right now. This gave many opportunities to many golfers to rise to the occasion, Jeeno Thitikul being one of them.

Now, the question arises, will Nelly be able to redeem herself, or will the deficit between her and the #1 spot keep on increasing?

Can Nelly Korda surpass Jeeno Thitikul in the #1 race?

Nelly Korda’s drop from her World No. 1 position might feel like a steep fall from dominance, but the reality on the field tells a different story. Nelly’s stat averages compared to Jeeno’s stats are better at certain places.

Korda has an average drive distance of 277.39 yards with a drive accuracy of 74.42 %, compared to Thitikul’s average drive distance is 266.49 yards with an accuracy of 72.04 %. In the scoring average rankings, Thitikul leads with 69.16, and Korda is right behind her at 69.78

These stats tell the very margins that matter a lot in the world of golf. Nelly’s ability in driving and scoring remains elite and hasn’t really dropped off, as the points difference might suggest. 

Nelly even added on how things have changed for her this year, yet she remains calm.

“It’s been a very interesting year for me,” Korda said at Erin Hills. “Definitely have had a bit of good and a bit of bad. Kind of a mix in kind of every event that I’ve played in. I would say just patience is what I’ve learned, and kind of going back home and really locking in and practicing hard.” 

How and when Nelly surpasses Jeeno, if at all, remains to be seen.