Winning on the LPGA Tour undoubtedly has its perks.
Victory typically comes with a sizeable check — both for the photo opportunity and for the bank account and, in some cases, it comes with an additional prize courtesy of the tournament sponsor. Some players win luxury lifestyle items; others ride home in a new car.
However, this week at the Toto Japan Classic the champion will be awarded the ultimate throne: a world-famous Toto toilet.
“I definitely would love it for sure,” Jeeno Thitikul said of the prize. “Best toilet in all of the countries [we play in]. I mean, even the airlines have the best toilets so far,” she said of being in Japan.
While Thitikul admitted she has an automatic toilet at her house in Thailand — similar to the Toto up for grabs at the Taiheiyo Club, she told reporters her eyes are still on the prized commode as taking home the luxurious loo would mean she won her fifth tournament of the year.
But, she might have someone very close in her corner that could be calling dibs first.
“My caddie said, ‘Is this the toilet?’,” Thitikul recalled after she and her longtime caddie is Banpot ‘Kong’ Bunpisansaree saw the prize by the putting green.
“I was like, ‘Yes.’ And then, like, what is it for? And then he saw the sign like, winner gets prize, so if we win, we get it,” Thitikul explained.
“He was like, ‘If you win, can I get it?’”
Toto became the sponsor of the Japan Classic in 2015 and has awarded the tournament winner a high-tech toilet since 2022. Last year’s fixture was worth around $15,000 and was adorned with a heated seat, an air dryer and a night light.
The quest for this year’s throne begins with the opening round on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 9 p.m. EST.
