Image Credit: LPGA/Getty Images
A Week That Refused to Settle
Every now and then, a tournament stops being a collection of scores and starts feeling like a story about people — their nerve, their heartbeats, their quiet recalibrations between glory and collapse. The 2025 Buick LPGA Shanghai was one of those weeks.
Jeeno Thitikul’s five-hole playoff win over Minami Katsu wasn’t just an ending — it was the punctuation mark on four days of themes that define the LPGA right now: precision under pressure, the rise of new stars, the global depth of the field, and the renewed sense that women’s golf has never been this competitive, or this compelling.
Jeeno’s Masterclass in Self-Control
You could look at Jeeno Thitikul’s final-round 63, her eagle at 17, and her birdie to win on the fifth playoff hole, and call it a clinic in execution. It was. But more than that, it was a masterclass in emotional reset.
A month ago, she four-putted the 72nd hole in Cincinnati to lose a tournament she had in her hands. In Shanghai, she turned that scar into a compass. “I cried a lot,” she admitted. “But you remind yourself you’re human — mistakes happen — and when it’s your time, you earn it.”
Her bogey-free final 36 holes, hitting 33 of 36 greens and gaining more than 12 strokes on the field, were the result not just of technical excellence but mental stillness. The swing was the same as always — fluid, unhurried — but the demeanor was new. She didn’t react, she absorbed. She didn’t chase, she stalked.
And when the playoff reached its fifth hole and she stuffed her approach to three feet, it wasn’t a surprise. It felt inevitable.
This was her sixth LPGA victory, second of the season, and her first as World No. 1. The way she earned it — not with fireworks, but with focus — will be remembered long after the trophy’s polished.
Minami Katsu: The Lesson in Losing Well
If Thitikul won the week, Minami Katsu owned its rhythm. Her 11-under 61 on Friday shattered the tournament’s scoring record. Her 131 at the halfway mark broke the 36-hole record. She played near-perfect golf for three days and didn’t make a bogey all weekend.
Her final-round 65 would’ve been enough almost anywhere else. But golf doesn’t care about “almost.”
Two putts grazed the edge in the playoff, and Katsu could only smile through the heartbreak. “It’s very competitive out here,” she said. “Everyone has a chance. You just keep trying.”
That line might be the defining truth of modern LPGA golf — nobody gets to dominate for long. On this tour, everyone’s good enough to win, and Katsu’s poise in defeat was the week’s quietest act of maturity.
Minjee Lee, Miyu Yamashita, and the Consistency Class
There was nothing flashy about Minjee Lee’s week — which is exactly what made it impressive. She posted rounds of 65-71-65-68 to finish solo third at –19, her seventh top-10 of the season. Her broomstick putter, once a curiosity, has become her superpower. She’s top-three in strokes gained putting for 2025, and her rhythm has made her the LPGA’s metronome.
Japan’s Miyu Yamashita and Korea’s Somi Lee tied for fourth at –17, both making steady climbs that reflect how deep the Asian contingent has become. The LPGA isn’t just “global” on paper anymore — it’s global in its leaderboard DNA.
Jenny Bae, in her rookie season, finished tied for fourth as well, and that feels like foreshadowing. Her poise, even after the heartbreak of Round 2’s closing triple, says she’s built for long-haul contention.
The Field Has Never Been Deeper
If you scanned the top 25, you saw something remarkable: 15 different nationalities represented, three amateurs finishing inside the top 25, and not a single player winning twice on tour until this week.
Thitikul became the first multiple-time winner of 2025, which is insane when you consider the season is ten months deep. The stat isn’t about dominance — it’s about depth.
As A Lim Kim put it best this week: “Competition is more hard than before. The younger players play really good. You watch and learn from them.”
The learning curve on the LPGA is now vertical. The talent pool is that strong.
Qizhong Garden, Revisited
The course itself deserves its own applause. Qizhong Garden isn’t long by modern standards (6,703 yards), but it’s deceptive. The par-5s invite courage and punish greed. The greens — especially late Sunday — had the roll of glass and the temperament of a cat.
Across four rounds, the field scoring average hovered near 70.6, proving that it never gave much for free. What it gave instead was drama: a course that teases birdies but demands bravery.
And in front of packed galleries, under the haze and heat that defined the week, it felt alive — part stadium, part stage.
The Takeaways: Five Things We Learned
1. Jeeno Thitikul is not just talented — she’s resilient.
The most gifted ball-striker in the women’s game has now proven she can handle scars, too. Her ability to turn pain into polish will be what defines her 2025.
2. Minami Katsu is here to stay.
She’s not a streak or a surprise. Her control, putting stroke, and calm are major-ready. A win feels inevitable.
3. The LPGA’s middle class is elite.
Names like Bae, Somi Lee, Yamashita, and Duncan are proof that the 10th-best player in the field can win any given week. That’s a sign of a healthy tour.
4. Asia owns the momentum right now.
Five of the top six in Shanghai were from Asian nations. The LPGA’s balance of power isn’t shifting — it’s already shifted.
5. Golf has never been this global, or this human.
From Jeeno’s emotional honesty to the diversity of winners, the women’s game is thriving not because of dominance, but because of depth and authenticity.
Next Stop: Korea — The BMW Ladies Championship
Now, the caravan heads to Haenam, South Korea for the BMW Ladies Championship, where the atmosphere will be electric and the weather unpredictable. The winds along the coast at Pine Beach Golf Links will test everything Shanghai rewarded — distance control, creativity, patience.
The storylines write themselves:
- Jeeno arriving as the new two-time winner and world No. 1.
- Katsu trying to flip the heartbreak script.
- Korean players returning to home turf, cheered by thousands.
The LPGA’s Asian swing has always been the heartbeat of fall golf. But this year, it feels like the heart itself — loud, fast, alive.
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