Anna Lin finishes 5th in final match... Titikkun hits jackpot of 5.6 billion won

CME Group Tour Championship FR Battles with 4-Under Par
Titikun Wins Prize Money Title with 7-Under Par Comeback
Angel In 2nd, Lydia Ko 3rd, Korda 5th

In her third year, Anna Lin failed to achieve a come-from-behind victory.

Anna Lin is teeing off at the 3rd hole of the 4th round of the CME Group Tour Championship. Naples, USA=AFP·Yonhap News

On the 24th (local time), at the Tiburon Golf Club (par 72, 6,700 yards) in Naples, Florida, USA, Anna Lin finished the 4th round of the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the LPGA Tour season (total prize money $11 million), with a 4-under-par, tying for 5th place (15-under-par 273 strokes). This marks her fifth top-10 finish this year, following a tie for 2nd place at the Portland Classic in August. This tournament only allowed the top 60 players in the CME Globe points ranking to compete until the previous event.

Starting from a tie for 4th place, 4 strokes behind the leader, Anna Lin made five birdies (one bogey). After reducing her score by 2 strokes in the front nine with birdies on holes 1 and 6, she chased the leader with three consecutive birdies from holes 13 to 15, but a bogey on the 16th hole (par 3) halted her momentum. She saved par on the remaining two holes. Anna Lin debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2022 but has yet to secure a victory.

Jino Titikun is smiling brightly at the 15th hole of the 4th round of the CME Group Tour Championship. Naples, USA=AFP·Yonhap News

Jin Young Tiitikun (Thailand) claimed the winner’s prize of $4 million (approximately 5.6 billion KRW). Starting tied for the lead, 3 strokes ahead, she recorded one eagle and six birdies (one bogey). After making an eagle on the 17th hole (par 5) to tie with Angel Yin (USA), she secured a crucial birdie on the 18th hole (par 4) to win by one stroke (22-under-par 266 strokes). This was her second win of the season and her fourth career victory. With this final event win, she became the leading money winner of the season with $6,059,309.

Tiitikun is the first player in LPGA Tour history to surpass $6 million in a single season. The previous record for most earnings in a season was $4.36 million by Lorena Ochoa (Mexico) in 2007. Tiitikun was named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2022 and received the Vare Trophy last year. Mao Saigo (Japan) secured the Rookie of the Year award by finishing tied for 25th (8-under-par 280 strokes).

Angel Yin (USA) finished 2nd (21-under-par 267 strokes), Lydia Ko (New Zealand) 3rd (17-under-par 271 strokes), and Renning (China) 4th (16-under-par 272 strokes). Nelly Korda (USA), the world number one who had a stellar year with seven wins, slipped to a tie for 5th place and missed out on the money title.

Korea ended the season with defending champion Yang Hee-young and Choi Hye-jin tied for 8th place (13-under-par 275 strokes), Ko Jin-young tied for 12th (12-under-par 276 strokes), and Lee Mi-hyang tied for 19th (10-under-par 278 strokes). The 2025 LPGA Tour season will begin on January 30 next year at the Hilton Grand Vacations Champions Tournament (total prize money $2 million) at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida, USA.