Chiba, Japan: If contestants at this week’s 45th Queen Sirikit Cup (QSC) require any inspiration, they need look no further than yesterday’s winners on the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour (LET).
While Thailand’s Atthaya ‘Jeeno’ Thitikul claimed her first win of the year and fifth career LPGA title at the Mizuho Americas Open, Korean Kim Hyo-joo was savouring success in the LET’s Aramco Korea Championship in Seoul.
Atthaya, aged 22, and 29-year-old Kim are both former individual champions at the QSC, also known as the Amateur Ladies Asia-Pacific Invitational Golf Team Championship.
Kim claimed low individual honours at the QSC in both 2010 and 2012 with Atthaya topping the standings in 2018.
Since those triumphs, the duo have gone on to establish themselves among the world’s finest female golfing professionals.
It’s a path that all 39 players teeing-off on the Tom Watson Golf Course at the Phoenix Seagaia Resort tomorrow in the opening round of the 2025 QSC will be aiming to follow.
Atthaya has now registered 13 top-10 finishes in her last 15 official starts on the LPGA Tour, dating back to last August and including a second runner-up finish at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia.
Following her latest win which cemented her position as number two in the Women’s Rolex Rankings, she said: “When I was a kid wanting to play on the LPGA Tour, my dad told me: ‘Winning on the LPGA Tour once is good enough.’ I had no idea I’m going to get this far, for sure. I’m just trying to do my part. I’m just trying to improve myself every day.”
After rounds of 64, 73 and 65, Atthaya led by one shot from France’s Celine Boutier heading into the last day at Liberty National Golf Club. World number one and defending champion Nelly Korda and her fellow American Andrea Lee were a shot further back.
The final round saw Atthaya paired with France’s Celine Boutier in a repeat of their epic battle at the 2023 Maybank Championship, when the latter won a nine-hole play-off.
The Thai player opened with a birdie and proved unflappable for the rest of the round, carding a bogey-free 69 for a 17-under-par 271 total.
Boutier claimed sole runner-up honours on 13-under after a final round 72, while Lee signed off with a 72 to share third place on 12-under with Spaniard Carlota Ciganda. Korda carded a 73 and settled for tied fifth place on 11-under with compatriot Yealimi Noh (72) and Australian Stephanie Kyriacou (67).
At New Korea Country Club in her homeland, Kim delivered a composed and professional performance to retain her title at the Aramco Korea Championship on the PIF Global Series.
The home hero, who claimed victory by three shots over England’s Charley Hull in 2024, returned to the winner’s circle in Korea – this time finishing two shots clear of Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini after a closing 69.
Kim was followed throughout the week by her devoted fan base, who turned out in force to support their favourite player. She did not disappoint, delivering another memorable performance that brought smiles to the faces of local fans.
She said: “It’s really special to be a winner here again and successfully defend my title. This tournament has given me so many great memories, and I’m truly grateful for the support of my fans. I keep using the word ‘happiness’ – it honestly feels like it’s been my birthday all week!
“Instead of focusing on the competition, I tried to concentrate on my own game. I didn’t feel like I was playing particularly well, and I knew I needed to raise my level. At one point, my caddie asked if I was nervous, and that made me realise my performance wasn’t where it needed to be. That was a turning point that helped me refocus.
“Rather than worry about who might be catching me, I focused on meeting my own expectations. I knew I wasn’t at my best, so I concentrated on getting back to my rhythm and playing at my own pace.”
It was Kim’s 25th win as a professional and her second success of 2025 having won the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in March and her third title on the LET.
