"Pro Mei-Ariya" and the unstoppable power of new beginnings.
The women's Honda LPGA Thailand golf tournament in Chonburi last weekend marked another milestone for Thai sports, as "Pro Jeen" Atthaya Thitikul, the world No. 1 female golfer, claimed the championship, delighting Thai golf fans who watched closely from the stands.
Pro Jeen became the third Thai female golfer to win this home event, following senior pros like "Pro Mei" Ariya Jutanugarn, the first Thai to win the Honda LPGA Thailand in 2021, and "Pro Meow" Paphangkorn Thawatthananon, who achieved this in 2024.
This year, Pro Mei also competed and delivered an impressive performance, finishing tied for 8th with a score of 18 under par.
It can be said that for Pro Mei, the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament holds many memorable stories.
Back in 2007, 11-year-old Ariya earned the right to compete in this event as an amateur, making history as the youngest golfer ever to participate in an LPGA Tour event.
Because this tournament is held in her home country and has been part of her journey since childhood, Pro Mei has always competed with great determination and consistently strong performances.
In 2013, at age 17, Pro Mei came very close to winning this tournament when she led by two strokes heading into the 18th hole on the final day, but a triple bogey on that hole allowed Korean star Park Inbee to snatch the title unexpectedly.
Overwhelmed by the pressure and emotions, Pro Mei shed tears after her final putt amid disappointment, but she soon transformed that setback into motivation for a fresh start and positive change.
Pro Mei regrouped and stood strong, facing both successes and failures along the way. The top Thai pro never stopped striving and was always ready to meet challenges to create opportunities to win.
Finally, in 2021, Pro Mei achieved one of her goals by winning the Honda LPGA Thailand on home soil, with Pro Jeen finishing second that year.
Since then, Pro Mei has regularly competed in the Honda LPGA Thailand and maintained strong results, including tied 13th in 2024, tied 14th in 2025, and tied 8th this year.
To date, Pro Mei remains Thailand's most successful golfer in terms of achievements, with 12 LPGA Tour wins, including two major championships.
She has also collected many prestigious awards, such as two Rolex Player of the Year titles, one Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, one Rolex ANNIKA Award for best major performance, and twice led the tour in earnings.
Moreover, Pro Mei was the first Thai golfer, male or female, to reach world No. 1, a milestone later followed by Pro Jeen.
Pro Mei's success from past to present is largely due to her relentless readiness to face challenges, her courage to transform setbacks into energy, the power of new beginnings, and the drive to change in order to reach her goals...
"Every shot" requires "power" — watch the clip here ➡️ https://youtu.be/Cs7K0xu5zTk