The World’s #1 Female Golfer, a Division I amateur going to The Masters and my Club Championship win: the secret that Thais us together
Read the golf news lately? Thais are taking over the headlines with Jeeno as world’s #1 female golfer, and Fifa, a Junior at Arizona State, who’s going to The Masters after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. So what do we have in common aside from our nationality?
When I was 20, I played in the Women’s Club Championship at Witch Hollow Golf Course at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (the same exact course where 4 years prior, 20 year old Tiger Woods won his 3rd US Amateur in 1996 and then turned pro). I was playing the final round - tied with the leader going into hole 15. The other 2 ladies in my foursome were friends and allies with the leader. They tried playing silly mind games to break my focus. That only made me angry...so I switched to beast mode.
I then birdied holes 16, 17 and 18, ending with a classic “Noi move”: chipping in on 18 from the deeply undulated area below the green. Might I add, in 1997 when the course hosted the Women’s US Open, the then president of the USGA referred to the 18th hole as “lethal.” My killer short game resulted in a 6 birdie, 72 final round, and the title of Women’s Club Champion that year.
Let’s be clear though, I focused on my short game out of necessity and I much rather practice putting for 2 hours vs spend 30 mins on a driving range. As my dad would say: “You need to get up and down as much as possible. You’re 5’2” competing against girls who outdrive you by 50 yards!” Even my high school coach, Dan Friedhoff, knew this is what I brought to the table.
Fast forward 25 years later, and a remarkable short game is also why 20 year old Fifa is Champion of the Asia-Pacific Amateur. His final round was a shocking 6 stroke comeback, which included 5 straight birdies, securing him a spot in The Masters and The Open Championship (aka The British Open). Now this is what I call an incredible short game!
Here's a breakdown of Fifa's notable short game the final day:
For Jeeno: just look at her final round at the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. She gained more than 6 strokes against her competitors, hitting a -8, 64 with only 24 putts! This forced a playoff which she won. Jeeno also ranked third in “scrambling” where she got up and down at a rate of 73%. As the world’s #1 ranked female golfer, one can only conclude Jeeno’s performance is very consistent… but take a deeper look at her putting stats and what it means:
This video by Maximus Golf really captures her strong short game recently at the Buick LPGA Shanghai 2025, which she also won:
In the end, Jeeno has a short game you probably only dream of having. Fifa is “living the dream” amateur golfers wish was possible. And the secret that Thais us together is knowing your short game can make or break you. So instead of trying to hit your driver 10 yards further, I suggest you practice those 6 foot putts instead!