Jeeno Thitikul secured a come-from-behind victory to win the LPGA Shanghai title.
Thitikul surged back from four shots down with five holes to play to force a playoff with Minami Katsu, before producing another extraordinary shot on the fifth playoff hole to become the first two-time LPGA tournament winner of the season.
Top-ranked Thitikul’s 63 was the round of the day and included seven birdies and an eagle. The Thai player’s 24-under 264 closed what had appeared to be a comfortable margin for overnight leader Katsu of Japan, who had started the day two shots ahead and extended that to four after the 13th.
But the Thai player reeled that in with birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th, before an incredible eagle with the ball bouncing along the mottled 17th green of Qizhong Garden Golf Club in Shanghai to draw level.
Katsu (65) could only respond with a birdie of her own at the 17th, but had another birdie chance on the final hole to claw back the victory only for the ball to slide past the hole and carry them into a playoff.
Thitikul charged back into contention on the final day, coming back from four shots down with five holes to play
Pars through the first four playoff holes, rotated between the 18th and the 10th, included Katsu having two birdie putts to win only to narrowly miss the hole on both.
On the fifth playoff hole the deadlock was broken as a brilliant approach by Thitikul placed the ball three feet away, while Katsu’s second shot fell short of the green at the par-4 18th.
Katsu’s chip for birdie was impressive but missed, leaving Thitikul a simple birdie putt to close out a remarkable victory nearly two years after losing in an epic nine-hole playoff to Celine Boutier at the LPGA Malaysia.
Minjee Lee, who won her third major title at the Women’s PGA Championship in June, shot 68 on Sunday for a 19-under 269 as her challenge faded through the middle part of the round for a third-place finish.
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