Quick Answer: Jeeno Thitikul won the Lotte Championship on October 4, 2026, shooting a final-round 68 to finish 21 under and beat Ina Yoon by three shots. It’s her fourth win this season and her 11th on the LPGA Tour. One more win ties her with Ariya Jutanugarn’s career total of 12.
Jeeno Thitikul’s fourth win of 2026 nearly slipped away on the 16th hole at Hoakalei Country Club. She drove into the water on the par 4, made a double bogey, and watched a two-shot lead turn into a tie with Ina Yoon at 19 under. Then she birdied 17 and 18 to win the Lotte Championship by three.
None of them lays out all four of her 2026 titles side by side or does the lead math on the last three holes. Both are below, plus the six events left on her schedule and one lesson from Sunday that works without a tour-level swing.
What happened on 16, 17 and 18 in Jeeno Thitikul’s fourth win
Thitikul started Sunday at 17 under with a three-shot lead. She birdied the par-5 first, added birdies at 7 and 8, and made the turn in 33. Five pars and a birdie at the par-3 15th pushed her to 21 under, and Yoon stood two back at 19 under.
Then came the 16th. Her tee shot found the water, she made a six, and Yoon’s par tied the tournament at 19 under.
When Golf Channel asked how she recovered, Thitikul laughed and said “I have no idea.” Her longer answer, per the Field Level Media report, was that she stayed on her own game and told herself a player with a shot left has nothing to lose.
Here’s how the lead moved through the round.
| Point in Sunday’s round | Thitikul | Yoon | Thitikul’s lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of the day | 17 under | 14 under | 3 shots |
| After 15 holes | 21 under | 19 under | 2 shots |
| After 16 | 19 under | 19 under | Tied |
| After 17 | 20 under | 18 under | 2 shots |
| Final | 21 under | 18 under | 3 shots |
Scores come from the Golf Channel, Golfweek and Field Level Media recaps. The start-of-day figures subtract each player’s Sunday 68 from her final total.
The double cost two shots. Hole 17 handed both back, because her birdie and Yoon’s bogey landed on the same hole, and the par-5 18th added the third. The 17th hole saved her week. Golf Digest calls it the hardest hole on the course, and Thitikul rolled in a 30-footer there while Yoon drove into the water.
All four 2026 titles, side by side
Thitikul’s four wins this year came four different ways. The table shows the margin, the final round and how each one played out.
| Event (final round) | Total | Final round | Margin | How it played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda LPGA Thailand (Feb. 22) | 24 under (264) | 68 | 1 shot | Four rounds in the 60s, edged Chizzy Iwai |
| Mizuho Americas Open (May 10) | 13 under (275) | 69 | 4 shots | Led from the second round to the finish |
| The Standard Portland Classic (Aug. 16) | 22 under (266) | 64 | 1 shot | Started two back, birdied six of her first seven holes |
| Lotte Championship (Oct. 4) | 21 under (267) | 68 | 3 shots | Led by three, held on after a double bogey at 16 |
Sources: LPGA.com, The Nation, AP and Golf Channel recaps.
Two of the four finishes came down to a single shot, in Thailand and Portland. One extra stroke in either place sends the finish to a playoff. Her winning totals run from 13 under at Mizuho to 24 under in Thailand, so she’s won on a course where 13 under was enough and on ones that took 21 or better.
Portland shows she can chase, and Mizuho and Lotte show she can lead. She began Sunday in Portland two shots behind, birdied six of her first seven holes, and shot 64 to beat Arpichaya Yubol and Chanettee Wannasaen by one.
Where she stands against Nelly Korda
Korda and Thitikul share the most wins on tour this year with four apiece, according to Golfweek. And Korda needed 15 starts to get there and Thitikul needed 16. Korda is still the world No. 1 and Thitikul is No. 2.
The timelines run opposite. Korda won the Chevron Championship in April and the U.S. Women’s Open in June, and Golf Digest reports she had four wins before July and has one top 10 in her last five starts. Thitikul missed the cut at the Chevron and has won twice since July.
Korda isn’t going to Asia, per Golf Digest. That leaves Thitikul four events without the world No. 1 in the field, and it’s the easiest path to a fifth win she’ll get this season. Golf Digest expects Korda back for The Annika and a showdown with Thitikul at the CME Group Tour Championship, which Thitikul won in 2024 and 2025.
Records, money and the one thing she doesn’t have
The $450,000 winner’s check pushed Thitikul past $20 million in career LPGA earnings. Golf Digest puts the total at $20,210,011, which passes Karrie Webb and ranks fourth all time behind Korda, Lydia Ko and Annika Sorenstam. At 23, Thitikul has 11 wins and 65 top 10s in 101 starts, according to Golfweek.
Ariya Jutanugarn owns both numbers she’s chasing. Jutanugarn has 12 career wins and won five times in 2016, and Thitikul sits one short of each. The Nation reports she’s the first Thai woman in a decade to win four or more times in a season.
The gap in her resume is a major. Korda and Ryu each won two majors in 2026, and Thitikul is still waiting on her first. That matters for Player of the Year, though Thitikul won the 2025 award with three wins and no majors. Golfweek puts this year’s race between Korda and Ryu, with Thitikul at least in the conversation.
A weekend golfer’s lesson from the double on 16
If you want swing mechanics, this isn’t the article for you. Golf Digest, Golf Channel and Golfweek don’t say how Thitikul sets up, and guessing from video clips would waste your time.
The Sunday numbers do show a ball-striking edge. Thitikul hit 11 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, according to the Field Level Media report. Yoon hit nine of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens. Both players shot 68.
Look at birdies and bogeys instead. Thitikul made six birdies, one double bogey and no bogeys. Yoon made seven birdies and three bogeys, and three bogeys cost one more shot than a double does.
That’s the same arithmetic your scorecard follows, so count the bogeys after a bad hole. Thitikul said she stayed on her own game after the water on 16. On your course, a double bogey shouldn’t change the club in your hand or the target you pick.
Six events left in 2026
Thitikul has six events left to turn this into a five-win season. Golf Digest says four of them are in Asia. The LPGA schedule lists those as the Buick LPGA Shanghai (October 15 to 18), the BMW Ladies Championship (October 22 to 25), the Maybank Championship (October 29 to November 1) and the Toto Japan Classic (November 5 to 8). The Annika (November 12 to 15) and the CME Group Tour Championship (November 19 to 22) finish the year in Florida.
Two of the six are title defenses. She won Buick LPGA Shanghai last October, and she won the CME Group Tour Championship in both 2024 and 2025. The CME winner takes home $4 million from an $11 million purse, a check more than eight times the $480,000 Shanghai pays.
Dates come from the LPGA’s published schedule. Confirm them on lpga.com before you book anything.
Quick answers on Jeeno Thitikul
How many LPGA wins does Jeeno Thitikul have?
Eleven as of October 5, 2026, including four this season. Those four came at Honda LPGA Thailand, the Mizuho Americas Open, the Portland Classic and the Lotte Championship. One more win ties her with Ariya Jutanugarn’s career total of 12.
Has Jeeno Thitikul won a major?
Not yet. She finished second at the 2025 Evian Championship and tied for fourth at the 2026 Women’s British Open. Korda and Haeran Ryu each won two majors this year.
When does Jeeno Thitikul play next?
Buick LPGA Shanghai, October 15 to 18 in China. She’s the defending champion, and she’ll head home for a week of rest first, according to Golf Channel.
How much has Jeeno Thitikul earned in her LPGA career?
$20,210,011 after the Lotte Championship, according to Golf Digest. That ranks fourth on the LPGA’s all-time money list behind Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko and Annika Sorenstam.
Is Jeeno Thitikul the world No. 1?
No. She’s No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, behind Nelly Korda. Korda regained the top spot in April by winning the Chevron Championship, a week Thitikul missed the cut.
Shanghai is next
Thitikul gets a week off before Shanghai starts on October 15, and she arrives as the defending champion. Her fourth win of the year already tops her previous best of three in a season, which she posted in 2025. Our guide to playing the hole after a double bogey pairs well with 16 and 17. A win in Shanghai would give her five titles this year, the same total Ariya Jutanugarn posted in 2016.