When a golfer admits she has zero confidence in her putter, yet somehow manages to finish fourth at one of Asia’s premier tournaments, one would almost say that’s virtually impossible. However, Jeeno Thitikul did exactly that.

The Thai sensation finished the Maybank Championship at 13-under par (203). She started slowly, sitting T18 after two rounds. Then she fired a stellar 65 in the third round. That surge moved her up the leaderboard and into contention. A birdie on the 18th hole sealed her top-5 finish.

But Thitikul isn’t dwelling on her T4 finish at the 2025 Maybank Championship. Instead, the world No. 1 is already looking ahead to November. Her sights are set on defending her CME Group Tour Championship title at Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

Coming back to her performance at the Maybank Championship, Thitikul managed to achieve this despite facing serious putting struggles.

“I’m not really confident with my putter coming in this week,” Thitikul revealed in her post-round press conference. She referenced the previous tournament where she couldn’t make any putts. The Kroger Queen City Championship had been particularly brutal. A costly 4-putt on the 72nd hole dropped her to runner-up.

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Despite her evident struggles, she found a way to compete. “I am really happy about how I fought with myself out there.”

That fighting spirit tells you everything about why Thitikul sits atop the world rankings. She leads the LPGA Tour in scoring average at 68.95. Her strokes gained putting average of +0.61 ranks first on tour. Yet even champions face mental battles with specific aspects of their game.

The Maybank Championship continues to haunt Thitikul. She’s now finished in the top-5 three consecutive years. In 2023, she lost a marathon nine-hole playoff to Celine Boutier. In 2024, Ruoning Yin beat her by a single stroke when Thitikul finished runner-up at 22-under. This year, Hye-Jin Choi won at 19-under while Thitikul settled for T4.

Three years. Three near-misses. Three painful learning experiences. But Thitikul isn’t letting these close calls discourage her. Instead, she’s viewing the entire fall Asia swing as preparation for something bigger.

Jeeno Thitikul’s Asia swing is building CME momentum

“I get really like a good and then good vibes going to CME,” Jeeno Thitikul said. Her enthusiasm was palpable despite the fourth-place finish. “Really happy that we’re finally going to end the year with big smiles, with positive vibes.”

The 22-year-old has dominated the 2025 Asian swing. She won the Buick LPGA Shanghai in October. That victory made her the first player to win twice this season. She finished third at the Honda LPGA Thailand earlier in the year. A T12 at the Blue Bay LPGA in China showed consistent form.

Now she’s using all these experiences to sharpen her game. The CME Championship waits in November with its massive $11 million purse. Thitikul previously shared her championship philosophy when discussing major tournaments. Last year’s victory was historic for multiple reasons.

She shot 22-under (266) to win by one stroke over Angel Yin. The dramatic finish featured an eagle on the 17th and a birdie on the 18th. That performance earned her $4 million—the largest prize in women’s golf history. An additional $1 million came from the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge bonus.

Her season total exceeded $7 million. Those earnings shattered Lorena Ochoa’s 2007 record by over $1.6 million.

Thitikul currently leads the Race to CME Globe standings by a significant margin over Minjee Lee. She’s accumulated 18 starts this season with 17 cuts made. Twelve top-10 finishes demonstrate remarkable consistency. Two victories already sit in her trophy case.

The numbers paint a picture of dominance. However, Thitikul continues to emphasize the mental aspect. “Obviously, I really play well, what I have been doing, like during the year.”

Her confidence remains intact despite her struggles with putting. That’s crucial heading into a title defense. Defending champions face unique pressure. Everyone wants to dethrone the reigning champ.

Thitikul seems ready for that challenge. The fall Asia swing has tested her in different ways. Weather conditions varied. Course setups changed. Competition intensified. Through it all, she kept grinding.

The CME Championship starts on November 20. Thitikul will arrive in Naples with momentum from a strong Asian swing. More importantly, she’ll carry the mindset of a fighter who refuses to let technical struggles derail her goals.

Can she overcome her putting issues to defend her biggest title? That question will be answered in November.