Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul has become the second youngest world number one in the history of women's golf at the age of 19 after a thunderous start to the year on the LPGA Tour. The organization announced this on Sunday.
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The young woman, who triumphed twice on the elite women's circuit based in the United States in 2022 and obtained 12 other places in the Top 10 this season, dethrones the South Korean Ko Jin-young. Ko had been at the top of the standings since January, but she recently injured her wrist and withdrew from the BMW Ladies Championship last month in South Korea after two poor rounds.
Atthaya is only the second player under 20 to reach the top of the rankings. New Zealander Lydia Ko was 17 when she became No.1 in 2015. Ko is now world number three. "It means a lot to my team, my family, my fans and myself," said Atthaya, who will start as number one for the first time at this week's LPGA Japan Classic. She finished sixth in South Korea two weeks ago.
"It is such an honor to have my name at the top amongst the biggest names of the game. It is very special to get to the top but it is much harder to retain it. I still have a lot to learn from all the legends and current players both on and off the course. I will continue to work hard for my family, my team, my fans and my country. " She added.
Atthaya Thitikul is used to historical exploits. She had won the Thailand championship in 2017 when she was only 14 years old.