She learned golf without course. Now? It is almost no. 1

Scene: At home in Dallas, chatting over the phone, settling after the Asian swing of the early LPGA season.

Dylan Dothier: Growing up in Thailand, how would you learn to speak so good English?

Jeeno Thitikul: Only from the journey, to be honest. I haven’t studied at an international school, just a normal Thai school. We had English classes, but they were not so excellent. But I was in the International Golf Team in Thailand, and we traveled every month, so it helped.

DD: How did you first enter Golf?

Jt: My grandfather introduced me. He came up with two sports, golf and tennis that he wanted me to try. He wanted a sport that would not hurt your body too much so that I could play for a long time. And he wanted a sport that could lead to a career if I were gifted.

DD: So I’m thinking you liked golf better than tennis?

Jt: (Laughing) I didn’t even have the chance to try tennis. He read in the newspaper for Tiger Woods, who was so good at the time, so I think he really wanted me to play golf. He took me to the car interval, I took a lesson with a for there, he asked me if I liked it, I said yes and started from there.

DD: Have you played with your family?

Jt: No one in my family plays golf. I’m the only one at all.

DD: Have you found friends to play with?

Jt: When I started, there was a group in a direction, many friends. But five or six years later, everyone was gone. They would rest. Maybe two or three were left, but, as, 10 left.

DD: How would you describe where you are: Ratchaburi, Thailand?

Jt: I came from a small town in the region, not far from Bangkok. But we didn’t have a golf course in our city, just a range of direction. So I learned there.

DD: Do you remember the first time you knew, okay, I’m very good at this?

Jt: I think it was when I qualified for the national team and played some of the Asian Games and international and foreign shifts. This helped me improve.

DD: And then you won your first pro event when you were 14 years old. What do you remember about this – pressure? Fun?

Jt: I just remember it was so fun. I also remember excitement and nerves from the last round, but I think it was so fun at the time because I was not really scared to fail at all.

DD: Is this what happens when you play longer – you are afraid of more things?

Jt: Over time, you can know a lot. You can think a lot because you know what is not good against what is good. You are not afraid, but think carefully.

DD: From the outside it seems that you and Ronni Yin do a lot of things together and have become close friends. True?

Jt: Oh, yes. She just bought a house near my house. As, walked. We started hanging after 2023, and approached when we played the Dow Championship together. (Editor’s note: They won as partners in 2024.)

DD: You are both 22. Do you think you connect with each other because you had so much success at a young age? You have reached each no. 1 in the world. You have four LPGA wins; It has five.

Jt: We have had such a similar career, and we talk a lot about it. How did the players become? How has it been for us? Everything happened so quickly. Sometimes if I’m not in a good mental health space, it helps me talk to it. And if she needs something, I can also be there for her.

DD: In Golf, how important is it to have your mind in the right place?

Jt: I think it’s the most important part. I know that physical abilities are required, but at this level we are not much different from one another, so the mind is the bulk. Performing under pressure.

DD: How do you practice your mental game? How do you work on this?

Jt: I have done some research and learned more about psychology, only from me. But I practice to feel more present. Feel your feet while walking, such things. Simple things.

DD: Do you think the biggest victory of your career was last year’s CME? You got home the first place price of $ 4 million.

Jt: Or my first CME or victory. Both stunning.

DD: Have you made any big purchases? I know you were thinking about it.

Jt: No. The little things. (Laughing) But all the little things can do a big thing.

DD: You are currently No. 2 in the world. Do you dream of returning to no. 1?

Jt: I would say it’s not that important to me. Whether I am no. 1 or no. 10 or No. 20, I feel the same. And I don’t think those numbers show how much you work.

DD: Do you consider yourself a difficult worker?

Jt: I don’t. But my coach says, “Oh, you work hard.” My whole team says the same thing. And I say, “Oh, really?” Because I always think I’m not doing enough.

DD: Do you set goals for yourself?

Jt: Before I came back in favor, I made a goal: if my family could live a good life, it would say that I did my goal.

DD: And have you realized it?

Jt: I think so. A really good life now. And now that I have been a professional, I have the intention I would like to win a major at least once.

DD: What is the hardest thing about life as a professional?

Jt: Travel, for sure. The schedule is better now than my novice year was because I can choose which tours to play. I still love the trip, but if we could have more time to enjoy things as we travel, instead of golf and hotel or golf and Airbnb, that would be better. Finding this balance of work and life is so important. Two years ago, I learned that sometimes it can burn you. You need to be able to motivate yourself every day.

DD: What is a specific thing you like to do that is not golf?

Jt: I like to work. And finally I’m entering tennis.

DD: After all these years! Are you good?

Jt: No. No, I’m not.

DD: No problem. You don’t have to be.