Thai teen Thitikul, 16, wins another LET event as an amateur

As women’s professional golf goes, most eyes were on the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship this week, which is one of the LPGA’s five majors. But something else worth noting was happening in Thailand.

Thai teen Atthaya Thitikul, winner of last year’s inaugural Asia-Pacific Women’s Championship, won her second Ladies European Tour event, this time out-playing Esther Henseleit at the Ladies European Thailand Championship.

It’s the second time in three years that Thitikul, who played this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur but missed the cut, has won this event. When she did it in 2017 at age 14 (four months and three days), she became the youngest known winner of a professional golf tournament.

This year, Thitikul, 16, had a final-round 5-under 67 on a weather-interrupted day that gave her a five-shot victory over Henseleit.

Thitikul is the No. 5-ranked amateur in the world. She won the Thailand Ladies Amatuer Open earlier this year.

“It feels unreal,” Thitikul told Ladies European Tour officials. “I’m really pleased with all the things I’ve done in this tournament. The last time I had a bogey was in round two. I just put the ball where I wanted it. Since I won two years ago I’ve kept working hard and I’ve grown in confidence. Today I didn’t actually sing a song to myself, I was just talking with my caddie.”