Young and talented! Two terms that can aptly describe the 21-year-old Atthaya ‘Jeeno’ Thitikul. Any objections? Didn’t think so, since her stats and figures speak for themselves if you consider them. But… were they just the result of her hard work, or was someone else behind her, pushing the golfer to success? Cue the entry of her most trusted caddie!

Over the four years that she played professionally, she has raked in a total of 15 victories, 3 of which came on the LPGA Tour. And by her side was none other than Banpot Bunpisansaree, who advised her on the greens. That’s not all; he was also there to keep her company during many events, especially when her parents and other close family members were absent. Truly a trustworthy companion to have!

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Who is Jeeno Thitikul’s caddie?

Jeeno Thitikul has been working with Banpot Bunpisansaree for quite some time now. While not much information is available about Bunpisansaree, it is known that he is from Chonburi, Thailand. Before teaming up with Thitikul, Bunpisansaree worked as a professional golfer on the Asian Tour. 

Banpot Bunpisansaree and the support he gave to Atthaya Thitikul

It was back in 2022 when Thitikul became the second-youngest golfer to conquer the world No. 1 position. Beside the then-19-year-old was her looper, who grew up in Chonburi, Thailand. Considering the age of the teenager and the feat she was able to achieve, it doesn’t take much to realize how much of an effect the experienced bagman had in helping her reach the top.

For a little bit of context: Bunpisansaree had been carrying the bags on the Asian Tour before joining hands with the LPGA Tour pro. Initially, he wasn’t a big fan of golf, but everything changed when a friend asked him to go watch him play. Suffice it to say, he was hooked on the game! And now, the most enjoyable part of his job is tackling each challenge that various courses dish out, with the Evian Resort being his favorite.

“It meant a lot to me, but I think it meant a lot more to him,” divulged the golfer during the 2022 Japan Toto Classic. The athlete’s looper had, back then, received a green caddie bib ahead of the event owing to his golfer reaching the top spot on the Rolex Rankings.”I think,” added Thitikul, “He dreams of wearing the green bib since day one of caddying for me.” If you don’t know what that bib means, it basically recognizes the caddie of the best player in the world. Understandably, a huge moment for him.

Thitikul and her caddie’s road to the top

Her first win that season and her LPGA Tour career came at the JTBC Classic, where she scored 16-under 272 to tie with the Danish athlete Nanna Koerstz Madsen, only to beat her in a playoff. Fast forward six months into September, and Atthaya ‘Jeeno’ Thitikul clinched another victory at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Again, her 17-under 196 tied her with Danielle Kang, leading her to beat the golfer in a playoff.

That’s not all. Would a golfer be able to achieve the top spot in the same season when Lydia Ko had raked in three victories? A ‘No’ would be the answer. Then how did she actually do it? Well, the then-19-year-old Thai professional, with the help of her caddie, racked up as many as 16 top-10 finishes that season. Such a feat, that too at 19 years old, wouldn’t have been possible without Bunpisansaree. It’s no wonder the two have immense trust in each other!

The ‘Thitikul and Bunpisansaree’ connection

The two are known to have a great connection on and off the greens. This was evident in a video that the LPGA Tour shared on its Instagram handle about the caddie-golfer duo as part of the ‘Who is Your Caddie’ series. “What is your favorite food?” asked the interviewer, to which Bunpisansaree wrote ‘In and Out Burger’ on his card, while Thitikul said the same.

A moving moment? Wouldn’t blame you. However, that was just the start of the interview, following which the duo were met with many queries. One of them, interestingly, included a question about the total number of birdies she carded that year. Neither she nor her caddie knew the answer. “That’s good,” replied the golfer hilariously, “Because I’m not going to fire him.”

It’s not surprising that they know so much about each other. Ruoning Yin, after her victory at the DOW Championship with Thitikul, had pointed out how the Thai golfer just has her manager and caddie with her during the various tournaments. “I’m lucky to have my parents with me,” said the LPGA Tour Pro while alluding to how lonely it gets for the 21-year-old at times, “But Jeeno also has a manager, caddie travel with her, but it’s kind of different.”

It takes a true friend and confidant to support you through such a hard time, and Banpot Bunpisansaree seems to have nailed that role almost perfectly. Now, all they need is for Atthaya Thitikul and her caddie to climb even higher in their careers.

Jeeno Thitikul’s Caddie salary and earnings (estimated)

Caddying for Jeeno Thitikul comes with a lot of perks. That’s because, with Thitikul winning a majority of the tournaments, she gives her caddie the opportunity to earn a handsome amount of money. Now, while there are no exact figures provided for Thitikul’s caddie, a look at the caddie compensation structure might give us an estimate. Caddies on the professional golf tour are often given a fixed amount of weekly pay ranging from $1500 to $2000 to cover their travel and food expenses. 

Next up, they also get a percentage of the golfer’s prize money. However, this largely depends on the position a golfer has finished in. For example, a golfer finishing outside of the top 10 will give a 5% cut. Meanwhile, athletes finishing inside the top 10 or the ones winning the tournament will have to give 7-8% and 10% cuts, respectively. 

Now, putting Thitikul’s earnings in the above model, the iconic golfer had a stellar 2024 season. She pocketed a whopping $6 million from the LPGA season last year. Thus, going by the 5-10% formula, Bunpisansaree earned an estimated $300,000. This was in addition to the base salary that Thitikul pays him. 

Next up, as Thitikul clinched the 2024 CME Group Tour Championship, she got a winner’s prize of $4 million. Thus, considering the fact that Bunpisansaree got a 10% cut, he might have earned $400,000 from one event alone. Thus, it is evident that the earnings fluctuate largely as no confirmed sources list down Bunpisansaree’s salaries and earnings. 

Surely, the duo of Bunpisansaree and Thitikul looks to be enjoying their time together significantly. And as they continue to march on with their winning streak, fans are eager to see what happens next.