The world No. 1 enters the new LPGA season healthy, albeit a little rusty.
Jeeno Thitikul is teeing it up at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions for the first time this week, and she does so with her left wrist feeling 100%.
Thitikul capped last season with a victory at the $4 million CME Group Tour Championship in late November, her third LPGA win of the year, though she also was dealing with an inflamed tendon in that wrist, which flared up the previous week at The Annika, where Thitikul tied for fourth.
While Thitikul tried to hit some balls in December, she put the clubs back away after her wrist didn’t feel completely healed.
“I didn’t actually have like serious practicing before new year at all,” she said.
Thitikul resume practice on Jan. 3 and flew to the U.S from Thailand last Saturday. Her irons are still a little rusty, she admitted, but more importantly, she’s pain-free.
“I would say 100%,” Thitikul said. “I don’t feel once I hit the ball at all. But it just, you know, it kind of feels tight sometimes because it’s cold.”
With no formal practice in December, Thitikul said she instead spent her offseason spending more time with family and friends, including taking a camping trip.
“I slept in a tent and then went to camping for like three days, two nights without a signal,” Thitikul said. “Like no phone signal at all. Yeah, we don’t have signal in the mountain.”