The Japan Times - No.1 Jeeno defends title at LPGA Tour Championship

Jeeno fired a four-under-par 68 to finish 72 holes at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, on 26-under 262 and defeat Pajaree by four strokes.

"I love this golf course," Jeeno said. "Playing here in the last tournament of the year gives me really good energy."

The only other player to win back-to-back Tour Championship titles was South Korean Ko Jin-young in 2020 and 2021.

The triumph was the seventh of Jeeno's LPGA career and her tour-best third title of the year after the Mizuho Americas Open in May and last month's Shanghai event.

Jeeno's four runner-up finishes and 14 top-10 efforts also led the LPGA this year.

A wrist injury last week had Jeeno worried whether or not she would even compete in the event.

"Last week in Dallas I was worried if I would be able to play this week," she said. "But I think that was the point, that I'm not thinking too much expecting things. I was just like I'll be able to play. That's really good enough."

Jeeno began with a six-stroke lead, saw it shrink to only two but recovered to win the $11 million event and secure the LPGA Player of the Year award and take Vare Trophy for season low scoring average by breaking the record low mark of 68.70 set by Annika Sorenstam in 2002.

"Definitely means a lot," Jeeno said of the scoring record. "Back then I was just six years old, a really young kid, had no idea what an LPGA was, had no idea what a world number one looked like.

"But as I'm stopping here today on the LPGA Tour, I know I'm playing the hardest golf but also I'm inspiring the next generation. It's part of our job as well."

The 22-year-old Asian star made a birdie-bogey start but added a birdie at the par-five sixth hole.

Pajaree, the last qualifier into the field of 60, charged into the hunt by making birdies on the first three holes and then the sixth and seventh.

Jeeno began the back nine with a birdie to stretch her lead, which grew to five strokes after Pajaree made bogey at the par-three 12th and Jeeno birdied the 13th to reach 25-under.

Pajaree birdied the par-three 16th and par-five 17th before a closing par to shoot 66 while Jeeno birdied the 18th from eight feet to complete the triumph.

Pajaree was pleased with a runner-up showing to her friend after barely making the field.

"It's just amazing to be in contention and try and catch Jeeno," Pajaree said. "She has just been doing really well and I've just been happy with my position and it has been an awesome week."

T.Ueda--JT