Thailand’s First Rolex Testimonee, Star Golfer Atthaya “Jeen” Thitikul Talks about Her Career, Her Goals, and How it Feels to Join the Rolex Family

If you follow the sport of golf, you’ve no doubt heard of Thailand’s own Atthaya Thitikul. Back in 2017 she won the Ladies European Thailand  Championship as an amateur, making her the youngest person to – at 14 years, four months, and 19 days old – ever to win a professional golf tournament.

Atthaya, also known as “Jeen” and even “Pro Jeen” in golf circles, was born in Ratchaburi province. She turned professional in 2020, and in 2021 became the youngest player to be named both the LET Rookie of the Year, and the LET Player of the Year. The following year, on March 27, she won for the first time on the LPGA Tour at the JTBC Classic, becoming the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour since fellow Rolex Testimonee Brooke Henderson. In October 2022, Atthaya became the World No.1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, and was named the 2022 ‘Rolex Rookie of the Year’ as well. Her official association with Rolex began in 2023, and she holds the distinction of being Thailand’s very first Rolex Testimonee.

What are your overall thoughts about Rolex’s longstanding support of golf?

I think it’s amazing that Rolex has been supporting golf for more than 50 years now. Golf is such a unique sport, with so many variables and so much unpredictability, that it’s really special to benefit from such longstanding support.

What does it feel like to be the first ever athlete from Thailand to join the Rolex family as a Testimonee and to be part of some of the game’s greats, such as Annika Sörenstam, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods?

It was such an honour. And it has been a  pleasure to join some of the legends of the game like Annika Sörenstam, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. I’ve been following their journeys and they have done so much for the game of golf – both in terms of growing the game and inspiring the next generation to play. I am part of that next generation and trying to follow in their footsteps. It’s very special to be on the same team as them in the Rolex family.

I have also been a big fan of Rolex watches for a long time and so becoming part of the family has been a really amazing experience. I hope that by becoming a Rolex Testimonee, I will help to inspire other athletes from Thailand to dream big.

Which Rolex watches hold the most significance for you?

I have four Rolex watches in total, but I would have to say that the Rolex Day-Date Platinum currently holds the most  significance. I love how rare it is – there are only a very limited number of them – and the light blue dial, as it is my favourite colour. It also means a lot to me because I got it after becoming a first-time winner on the LPGA Tour in March 2022 at the JTBC Classic at the Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

To stay true to myself. In golf, it’s easy to get too emotional and overthink things due to all the pressure and weight of expectation. I sometimes lose that sense of identity which is so important, but my coach is great at reminding me that simply being myself and enjoying the game of golf is enough and the best way to be.

I also have a good relationship with fellow Rolex Testimonee Lydia Ko, as we have played together quite a lot. As there is so much golf surrounding us, we often try to avoid talking about it too much but she has given me great advice at times. For example, when I became World No.1, Lydia Ko asked me how I was feeling and coping with being the highest ranked golfer in the women’s game. It was great to be able to speak to her about the nerves, pressure and weight of expectation that comes with being World No.1 and also ask her how she went about dealing with it.

What do you consider to be your personal career highlights so far?

As a professional, I would have to say my first win on the LPGA Tour in March 2022. This was an amazing moment for me, as I always had the dream of becoming a member on the LPGA Tour and winning a tournament. Also becoming World No.1 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings was an amazing milestone and definitely one of my career highlights.

Do you have a favourite course to play on? If so, what is it and why?

Two particular courses spring to mind. I would say that the Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, where The Amundi Evian Championship takes place, is my favourite. The setting is amazing with beautiful views and the food is always great there. The course is also really challenging due to the hilly terrain which makes it fun to play and a real test of your ability. I love playing there. I would say that Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland is my second favourite course. I played there last year at the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and really enjoyed it.

Having achieved so much at such a young age, what are your goals and ambitions for the future?

There’s still plenty of improvements to make in my game and on myself. Having achieved a lot at such a young age and so quickly in my career means that there is now a lot of pressure to continue delivering at that pace. Navigating this is an ongoing challenge that my team and I are working hard on. In terms of specific goals, it would have to be winning a Major championship.

I try not to think about the Major championships any differently to other tournament on the LPGA Tour or the LET Tour. I like to approach all tournaments in the same way in terms of preparation, trusting the process and believing in my ability. That being said, the Major championships are undoubtedly massive tournaments and important milestones in any golfer’s career.

You were named the Rolex Rookie of the Year in 2022. How did that feel?

It’s been a crazy journey for me. I never expected my name to be featured alongside greats of the game, like fellow Rolex Testimonee Annika Sörenstam, but it was amazing to win this award and it’s something that I am very proud of. The players who have won the award previously have gone onto achieve so much in their respective careers and I am now trying to follow in their footsteps. They have also done a great job at inspiring women and the next generation to play our sport which is something that I would also like to do. I am trying to be like them as I think it’s so important to inspire the next generation.

Committed to Excellence

Rolex is committed to the permanent quest for excellence in all its endeavours. In the sporting world, the brand has been a long-term supporter of golf, and it’s an enduring relationship that began more than 50 years ago.

It was in 1967 when Arnold Palmer was joined by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to become the very first golfing Testimonees in the Rolex family. Known collectively as ‘The Big Three’, this trio of legendary athletes changed the face of golf forever, and their partnership with Rolex marked the beginning of a relationship based on the shared commitment to continuous improvement and unwavering precision.

Since that time, the watchmaker’s affiliation with golf has grown and flourished, permeating every level of the game worldwide. From elite players and golf legends, to all the game’s Major championships – where success represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport – Rolex is ever-present. And the brand is not only involved with the foremost professional tours, but also the many worldwide amateur championships.

In the 1980s, Rolex added to its growing number of golf partners such legendary tournaments as The Open (UK) and US Open, and such respected organisations as the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), and the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). In 1981, Rolex clocks appeared on a tournament golf course for the first time, at Royal St. George’s for The Open, the oldest golf championship in the world.

In the 1990s, Rolex forged a relationship with The Masters, the first men’s Major championship of the year, and they also contributed to the advancement of the game through their support of the Masters Tournament Foundation, a charitable extension of the tournament that invests in development programmes worldwide. During this decade The Ryder Cup and the DP World Tour was also added to the watchmaker’s ever-growing list of partnerships.

Since the year 2000, the depth of Rolex’s relationship with golf has developed and grown exponentially. Alongside the game’s legends and prodigious talents, the brand now supports men’s and women’s golf across five continents, as well as tours, federations, organisations and competitions, reaching all golfers from junior to senior levels.

In 2011, Rolex increased its international reach by joining forces with the Asian Tour, the official body for professional golf in the region, which has helped to develop and grow golf in Asia while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. Then, in 2017, to mark the 20th anniversary of Rolex’s partnership with the DP World Tour, the inaugural Rolex Series took place. It remains the premium tournament category on the DP World Tour’s International Schedule, and comprises the most prestigious events on the tour.

In 2019, Rolex partnered the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, inviting for the first time onto the iconic Augusta National course the world’s leading amateur women players. More recently, in 2021, Rolex became the Official Timekeeper and Official Partner of the PGA of America, organiser of the PGA Championship, supporting its efforts to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf.

Rolex’s involvement with the annual Amundi Evian Championship – golf ’s first Major to be staged in continental Europe – is also a great example of this commitment to inclusion. Since the year 2000 the brand has been the Main Partner and Official Timekeeper, and this tournament has, incidentally, been the stage of many triumphs for Rolex Testimonees, including two-time champion Annika Sörenstam – one of the best golfers in the history of the women’s game – Lydia Ko (2015), Suzann Pettersen (2013), Anna Nordqvist (2017) and Brooke Henderson (2022). And this past July the world witnessed rising star Atthaya Thitikul, the pride of Thailand, also taking part in this prestigious sporting event.

Featured image: Rolex Testimonee Atthaya Thitikul plays a shot at the 2023 Chevron Championship.