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Who is Ariya Jutanugarn?

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She was the first Thai player to win a major title, but who is Ariya Jutanugarn? Find out more about her here…

Ariya Jutanugarn

Ariya Jutanugarn is arguably Thailand’s greatest ever golfer, with two major championship victories among her 13 worldwide wins.

Born in the Thai capital city of Bangkok in November 1995, Jutanugarn was always going to get into the sport, thanks to her parents owning a professional golf shop in the city. Alongside older sister Moriya, the pair were destined for greatness, and that has shown throughout Ariya’s professional career.

She turned pro in 2012, and won on the Ladies European Tour the next year. Although it would be another three years before she won on the LPGA Tour, 2016 would be her breakout year as a star. Jutanugarn won five times in total, including claiming her maiden major title – the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

The Thai star took her second major title two years later, with a victory at the US Women’s Open. She also has top five finishes in the other three major championships, and she was named the LPGA Player of the Year in both of her major-winning seasons. In total, she has 13 worldwide wins, with 12 of those coming on the LPGA Tour.

Ariya Jutanugarn | Player Profile

Personal Information

Name: Ariya Jutanugarn
Born: November 23, 1995
Nationality: Thailand
Residence: Bangkok, Thailand

Career

Turned Pro: 2012
Professional Wins: 13
Highest World Ranking: 1 – June 12, 2017

Best Results In Majors

Best Finishes:
– Chevron Championship – T2 (2025)
– Women’s PGA Championship – 3rd (2016)
– US Women’s Open – WON (2018)
– Amundi Evian Championship – 5th (2019)
– AIG Women’s Open – WON (2016)

Professional Wins – 13

2013 (1) – Lalla Maryem Cup
2016 (5) – Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, Kingsmill Championship, LPGA Volvik Championship, Ricoh Women’s British Open, Canadian Pacific Women’s Open
2017 (2) – Manulife LPGA Classic, CME Group Tour Championship
2018 (3) – Kingsmill Championship, US Women’s Open, Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open
2021 (2) – Honda LPGA Thailand, Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational

Ariya Jutanugarn
Jutanugarn with the US Women’s Open trophy after her victory in 2016

Achievements and Awards

LPGA Player of the Year – 2016, 2018
LPGA Tour Money Winner – 2016, 2018
Race to the CME Globe – 2016, 2018
GWAA Female Player of the Year – 2016, 2018
Thailand Professional Athlete of the Year Award – 2016, 2018
Heather Farr Player Award – 2016
Fox Sports Asia Woman of the Year Award – 2016
Best Female Golfer ESPY Award – 2017
LPGA Vare Trophy – 2018
Rolex Annika Major Award – 2018

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Ariya Jutanugarn

When and where was Ariya Jutanugarn born?

Ariya Jutanugarn was born in the Thai capital of Bangkok in November 1995. She took up the game from a young age, with her parents owning a golf equipment shop.

When did Ariya Jutanugarn turn professional?

Ariya Jutanugarn turned professional in 2013, and within a year, she was a winner on the Ladies European Tour.

How many major titles has Ariya Jutanugarn won?

As of 2025, Ariya Jutanugarn is a two-time major winner. She won the Ricoh Women’s British Open (now AIG Women’s Open) in 2016, before then lifting the US Women’s Open trophy two years later. Those two wins are part of 12 wins across the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.

Who is Ariya Jutanugarn’s sister?

Ariya Jutanugarn is one of two professional golfers in the family. Her older sister Moriya is also a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

Did you Know?

Winning Sisters

Ariya’s sister is also an LPGA Tour winner. Moriya Jutanugarn, the older of the two siblings, has won twice on the tour, with the pair teaming up to win the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in 2021.

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Thai History

Jutanugarn’s victory at the Women’s British Open in 2016 was a historic one, as she became the first Thai golfer – male or female – to win a major championship. She was followed by Patty Tavanatakit, who won the 2021 Chevron Championship.

Olympic Heartbreak

Jutanugarn represented her country at the Olympic Games for the first time in Rio in 2016. An opening round 65 saw her lead the way, but she had to withdraw from the tournament due to an ongoing knee problem.

Movie Star

The story of Jutanugarn’s rise to the top of the women’s professional game was made into a biopic-style movie. Tee Shot: Ariya Jutanugarn was released in 2019.

Can Ariya Jutanugarn get back to winning ways on the LPGA Tour? Can she get back to winning major titles? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!

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About the author

Matt Coles
Matt Coles

Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…

Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.

He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.

Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…

Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.