The world No. 1 is surrounded by pressure. So she swears in a 4-word mantra

Jeeno Thitiful feels grateful, sarcastically so. She’d just been reminded that in four previous appearances at this week’s HSBC Women’s World Championship, she didn’t finish outside the top 10, which was meant to be complimentary. 

But Thitiful opted to see it another way.    

“Thanks for the pressure,” she deadpanned, then added:

“No worries.”

That drew smiles, and the symbolism was thicker than any course’s rough. 

Pressure, it feels like, is everywhere for Thitikul. It was there at last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand event, Thitikul’s home event, a tournament she considers on par with any major when thinking of value. Then there are the majors themselves. She’s won everything — except one of those. There’s the pressure, too, of being ranked atop the world, because the world then tends to look your way. 

And yet?

No worries. To cope, Thitikul said Tuesday she’s swearing by a four-word mantra. It’s a pressure deflator, much like using a touch of sarcasm, and the saying is this: 

Dance in the rain.

That’s deeper. That’s thoughtful. That’s played out over her pressure points. 

How Jeeno Thitikul approached pressure during the Honda LPGA Thailand event  

Tuesday, Thitiful said she was still a little short on sleep. Adrenaline will do that, and Sunday at the Honda LPGA Thailand, it was flowing. Still, she said she decided that no matter what happened, her home country fans were going to get a show.   

And they did. And Thitikul won by a stroke. 

“The nerves is always going to be there, but you have to beat the nerves,” she said. “Sometime you get more worried about the future, about what next shot I’m going to do.

“But I told myself, this is the time that you need joy with it, need joy with excitement, need joy with the nervous moments. 

“That’s why I kind of try to dance in the rain.”

Then it’s off to the next week, and the chance to do it all over again. 

“I feel like you want just only that day, and then yesterday was like another new day that the trophy wasn’t there anymore,” Thitikul said. “It’s a new week, it’s a new journey, it’s new themes.”

How Jeeno Thitikul will approach pressure during her pursuit of a major win 

The theme of Thitikul not yet winning a major has followed her — her best showing was a runner-up finish at last year’s Evian Championship. Still, her thought is: There are five chances this year. And five next year. And so on. 

More dances. 

“Obviously when the pressure moment, when the nervous moment coming, you’re not going to get it every time,” Thitikul said. “… You have 10 times, you’re not going to get it 10 times. You’re obviously going to fall for sure.

“But I think the times that you fall, then you learn what the next time you’re going to do. But if you fall, that’s fine. Because you have the 11th time coming again.”

Thitikul also said she learned last week that she doesn’t need a “perfect 100 percent” game to win. In Thailand, she thought her iron play was well below that. 

“So I think for the goals for the majors, for whatever, I think that’s kind of always going to be with me,” she said. “That obviously if I’m not a 100 percent of my game, but I have to show out there and be able to bounce back.” 

How Jeeno Thitikul will approach the pressure of being the world No. 1 

Interestingly, Thitikul had been ranked No. 1 previously — for a week, after the 2022 Toto Japan Classic, when she was 19. Then, she said she put pressure on herself. But things have changed. 

Thoughts have changed. 

“It’s definitely different to my perspective of seeing things,” Thitikul said. “Seeing perspective of every way of seeing that because at that time, I think I was so young, and then I just put a lot of pressure on myself. I know a lot of people already had eyes on me and they are already expecting me. … At that time, I see things so serious. Even if I miss one shot, I felt that was bad.

“Right now, when I have a bad shot, it’s OK, you have another one. I think it’s more relaxing. It’s small thing to handle. But I just told myself, I really enjoyed it to be where I am right now and then I’m not going to be in this position forever. There’s going to be more top players coming up, but I want to perform and enjoy this position the best that I can.”

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