19-year-old, Atthaya Thitikul, has been crowned with the 2022 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award. The accolade was presented to the rising youngster after a memorable year on the LPGA Tour. In the process, she became the second consecutive player from Thailand to earn the Rookie of the Year award after countrywoman Patty Tavatanakit’s win last year.

Atthaya Thitikul’s fruitful year secures Rookie of the Year

Thitikul surmounted the LPGA golf standings last week to become the No. 1 ranked player on the circuit. Her lead of over 250 points went out of bounds after her nearest challenger, South Korean golfer Hye-Jin Choi, withdrew from the upcoming Pelican Women’s Championship.

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The Thai golfer won the JTBC Classic and the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship this year. She defeated Danish pro, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, in a playoff at the Aviara Golf Club for her first title, before beating Danielle Kang on the second playoff hole to win the Arkansas Championship.

With her numero uno status, Thitikul became the second Thai golfer after Ariya Jutanugarn to hold a place at the summit. She also joined Tavatanakit (2021) and Moriya Jutanugarn (2013) as Thai Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winners.

Atthaya Thitikul honored with the accolade

The 19-year-old pacesetter was thankful yet insightful about her achievement. “It is such an honor to win the Rookie of the Year award, especially being the second consecutive player from Thailand to win this honor,” Thitikul said. “I’m happy to have made my home country proud. My rookie year has been really fun and memorable, but we still have a long way to go.”

Thitikul’s rise from the top-ranked amateur to the top-ranked golfer on the LPGA circuit has been set at a rapid pace. She held the top-amateur rank in January 2020, which was followed by steady yet rising performances. A couple of years later, Thitikul has already scaled the summit of the women’s game.

In a stupendous season, she isn’t far behind stars in other departments. She is currently second in the Race to CME Globe standings with 2,690.127 points and tied for third in the Rolex Player of the Year standings with 130 points. If she eventually wins the Player of the Year award, Thitikul will re-write history books, as she has already in a thrilling career.

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