World No. 1 Korda’s Challenge Fades on Back Nine as Season’s First Win Remains Elusive

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — In a moment that perfectly encapsulated her performance all week, Jeeno Thitikul found herself in a precarious position on the 15th hole at Liberty National: foot pressed against a bunker’s steep slope, facing a delicate shot over another bunker to a tucked pin, with Celine Boutier poised to erase her lead with a birdie putt just 10 feet away.

What followed was championship golf at its finest. The 22-year-old Thai star executed the shot flawlessly, splashing her ball to just 3 feet to save par. When Boutier not only missed her birdie attempt but also the 30-inch comeback putt, what could have been a tie became a three-shot advantage that Thitikul would only extend.

“I know that a lot of putts didn’t drop on the front nine, but I’m trying to do my best,” Thitikul said after closing with a bogey-free 3-under 69 for a four-shot victory. “I was just trying to tell myself, ‘Be patient, it’s coming, it’s coming.’ That’s pretty much what I told myself today.”

Korda’s Quest Continues

The tournament began the weekend as a showdown between Thitikul and world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who was seeking her first victory of 2025 after a record-setting seven-win campaign last season. Korda stayed within striking distance through the front nine Sunday, getting within one shot after a birdie at the par-5 eighth.

But her challenge unraveled when she drove into a hazard on the par-4 ninth hole, leading to a bogey. Korda couldn’t find a single birdie on the back nine, adding two more bogeys to finish with a disappointing 73, tying for fifth place.

Crucial Final Stretch

After the dramatic turn of events on the 15th hole, Thitikul continued to show her mettle down the stretch. On the 16th, she converted a clutch 7-foot par putt while Boutier missed another opportunity from 8 feet. Thitikul then delivered the knockout punch with a 10-foot birdie at the 17th.

“That was the moment I felt like I could really breathe,” Thitikul admitted about the birdie on 17. “But in golf, you never know until the last putt drops, so I stayed focused until the very end.”

Thitikul, who captured the Race to CME Globe and its $4 million prize to end last season, now claims her fifth LPGA Tour victory and first of 2025. The win earned her $450,000 and propelled her back into the lead for this year’s Race to CME Globe standings.

Final Leaderboard

Boutier finished alone in second at 13-under after a final-round 72, while Carlota Ciganda (70) took third place. Andrea Lee (72) finished fourth, and Korda shared fifth with a group that included defending champion Somi Lee.

The tournament, hosted by Michelle Wie West, also featured a juniors competition that paired AJGA players with LPGA professionals. Local talent Aphrodite Deng, who lives just 20 minutes from Liberty National, won the junior division using the modified Stableford scoring system.

The LPGA Tour now heads to New Jersey’s Upper Montclair Country Club for next week’s Cognizant Founders Cup, where Thitikul will look to continue her momentum as Korda aims to finally break through in 2025.