The name on the Vare Trophy this year might look different than last year, but it’s the same person. Atthaya Thitikul, who earlier this year decided to officially go by her nickname “Jeeno” on LPGA leaderboards, once again leads the race for lowest scoring average on the LPGA.
Thitikul won the award last season without winning on tour. While she technically has won this year at the Dow Championship, scoring at the team event does not count toward this particular race. (Thitikul partnered with good friend Ruoning Yin.)
With four events left in the season, Thitikul paces the tour with a 69.537 average. She won last year’s race with a 69.53 average.
In order for the 21-year-old Thai player to win this year, however, she’ll need to make the cut in her next start at The Annika and play all four rounds at the CME Group Tour Championship to meet the minimum requirement of 70 rounds. Thitikul, who missed the first quarter of the season with a thumb injury, has competed in 62 total rounds this season.
Nelly Korda ranks second on the scoring list with a 69.918 average but as she’s out with a minor neck injury, won’t compete again until The Annika next month. She’ll fail to meet the minimum requirement of rounds played.
Furue would need an average strokes per round of 65.944 in her remaining starts to pass Thitikul. Haeran Ryu would need an average strokes per round of 65.534.
Should Thitikul hold on to win the Vare, she’d become the 12th player to win the award two years in a row, joining JoAnne Carner, Beth Daniel, Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Nancy Lopez, Lorena Ochoa, Judy Rankin, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Kathy Whitworth and Mickey Wright.
Winners of the Vare Trophy also receive a coveted LPGA Hall of Fame point.