“Geno” kicks off WTGL victory leading Motor City to an 8-3 win over Michelle Wie West’s team.
“Geno” Atthaya Thitikul, the world’s No. 2, started the women’s team golf league, WTGL, with a victory. Alongside Ruoning Yin from China and Lexi Thompson from the U.S., she led Motor City Golf Club to an 8-3 win over Los Angeles Golf Club, captained by Michelle Wie West, at Sofi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on the evening of Tuesday, 10 Nov 2026 GMT+7.
The three Motor City players gelled well in the triples format over the first nine holes, finishing that segment with a commanding 7-0 lead. In the singles format played over six holes, Japan’s Aki Iwai and the U.S.’s Kiera Romero helped Los Angeles Golf Club earn 3 points.
Thompson secured the final point for Motor City by defeating Romero on hole 12, while Geno tied with Wie West in both holes they contested. Previously, Wie West had led Los Angeles to a win over New York Golf Club in the league’s season opener on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Geno, holder of 11 LPGA Tour titles, had arrived from Japan just 24 hours before the match. She said she was excited to compete against Wie West, who retired from the LPGA Tour in 2022.
“We only overlapped briefly on tour. For me, Michelle is the greatest golfer of all time. She has done so much for golf and for her fellow golfers,” Geno said.
“Michelle helped grow the sport and made golf better for us and our generation of players. I haven’t had many chances to compete or play with her, so tonight was very special. I’m happy she didn’t win.”
TMRW Sports and the LPGA Tour established WTGL, a women’s team golf league.
Its goal includes attracting younger audiences to golf. The league features 25 players, including World Golf Hall of Fame members, major champions, Solheim Cup veterans, legends, and rising stars.
Before her WTGL debut for Motor City, Geno admitted she was unsure what to expect.
“On the way here, I was very nervous and had to adjust quite a bit because playing on the course, you see the ball differently than here. It was hard at first, but as I played, I got used to it and felt much better than on my first shot, where I hit the ground before the ball.”
In the next match on Tuesday, 17 Nov 2026 GMT+7, Motor City Golf Club will face Boston Common Golf. Motor City’s three players for that match will be Geno Thitikul, Brooke Henderson, and Alban Valenzuela, while Boston Common Golf will field Chizzy Iwai, Megan Kang, and Lottie Howd.
The WTGL women’s team golf league, organized by TMRW Sports and the LPGA, features major champions, Olympians, legends, and promising young players competing across five teams. Each team has five players but can only field three per match, making player selection and strategy crucial. The five teams play a round-robin regular season, with all match results affecting playoff qualification. The semifinals are single matches, while the finals are best-of-three matches.
Watch live broadcasts on AIS Channel WTGL 901.
For team rosters, player info, schedules, and more details, visit the WTGL website.