Tag: Atthaya Thitikul

LPGA: Talented Thai teen Atthaya Thitikul turns win last week into major opportunity at Chevron Championship

The 19-year-old rising LPGA star from Thailand won last week’s tour event in Carlsbad.

For most of us, when our travel plans get changed at the last second, it’s a bummer. Not so for Atthaya Thitikul.

The 19-year-old rising LPGA star from Thailand won last week’s tour event in Carlsbad, and that victory qualified her to play in this week’s Chevron Championship in Rancho Mirage. Needless to say, she adjusted her plans.

Just three days after her first LPGA Tour win, she will be playing in her first major as an LPGA Tour member.

“It means the world to me to be out here and winning last week and I’m excited to play this week,” Thitikul said Wednesday after playing in the pro-am. “If I wasn’t here, I probably would’ve gone home or somewhere to stay focused on my game. This is better.”

When Thitikul tees it up Thursday, it will be her first time playing the Dinah Shore Tournament Course as a pro, but it won’t be the first time she played in this event. She played here in 2018 as an amateur, made the cut and finished in a tie for 30th. She was the top amateur that year.

She finished 5-under in 2018, tied with the likes of Michelle Wie, Cristie Kerr and In Gee Chun. Not bad for a 15-year-old.

Does that mean that this course suits her game?

Atthaya Thitikul reacts on the final hole on the last day of the Honda LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club in Pattaya on May 9, 2021. (Photo by Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images)

“No, I think not very much,” she said matter-of-factly. “For me, and just like for all the players, if you can keep your ball in the fairway, it will be much easier.”

Thitikul said she doesn’t feel like the confidence and glow she gained by winning last week will necessarily translate to this week.

“You can’t expect anything with golf,” she said, showing the wisdom of a veteran. “That was last week not today. I don’t want to just have winning always on my back, like ‘Oh yeah just won that tournament, you should do good in this tournament too.’ It doesn’t mean that. It depends on your week, depends on the course.”

Having just turned 19 on Feb. 20, if she were to make it two in a row and win this week, she would be the third-youngest player ever to win this event.

Morgan Pressel in 2007 and Lydia Ko in 2016 both won as 18-year-olds. Lexi Thompson was 19 years, one month and 27 days old when she won here in 2014. Thitikul would be a couple weeks younger than that on Sunday.

Thitikul has another unique distinction relating to her success at a young age. She is the youngest golfer ever to win a professional golf tournament. At age 14 years, 4 months and 19 days, she won the Ladies European Thailand Championship as an amateur in 2017. It was that victory that enabled her to play here in Rancho Mirage in 2018.

A victory in the desert on Sunday would replace all of those accomplishments and become her new shining moment. She admitted that she has dreamt of jumping in Poppie’s Pond, and with the tournament moving to Houston after this year, she knows this will be the last opportunity for her to be able to do that.

There is one problem though.

“The other players have this dream, too,” she said with a laugh.

Shad Powers is a columnist for The Palm Springs Desert Sun, part of the USA Today Network. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.

Watch her play

Who: Atthaya Thitikul, 19-year-old from Thailand who won last week’s LPGA event.
Playing partner: Inbee Park, the 2013 champion here
Thursday tee time: 12:47 p.m. off the 10th tee
Friday tee time: 7:47 a.m. off the 1st tee

Thai rookie sensation Atthaya Thitikul claims first LPGA title in playoff at JTBC Classic

Youth prevailed as 19-year-old Atthaya Thitikul ousted Nanna Koerstaz Madsen in extra holes.

Nanna Koerstz Madsen picked the absolute worst time to record her first three-putt of the week at the JTBC Classic.

Needing to two-putt the 72nd hole to collect her second consecutive title, the Dane pushed her par putt and fell into a tie with 19-year-old rookie Atthaya Thitikul, who had finished play an hour earlier.

As Koerstz Madsen put the finishing touches on a 2-under 70, Thitikul stretched and worked on her short game a bit but never went to the range as she kept tabs on the scoreboard. The Thai phenom closed with an 8-under 64, the round of the week, Sunday at Aviara Golf Club to finish knotted with Koerstz Madsen at 16-under 272 for the tournament.

Only three players have ever won their first two events on the LPGA in consecutive starts. Koerstz Madsen looked to become the fourth, joining Trish Johnson (1993), Emilee Klein (1996) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2016).

Thitikul, No. 14 in the Rolex Rankings, has four wins on the Ladies European Tour, making history when she won the first at age 14. The LPGA rookie looked to win for the first time in just her fifth start in 2022.

Ultimately, youth prevailed, with Thitikul claiming her first LPGA title with bogey on the second playoff hole after Koerstz Madsen’s approach met a watery end.

“It means to the world to me,” said a champagne-soaked Thitikul,

On the first playoff hole, both players had 156 yards left into the difficult 18th. They told each other that it didn’t matter who went first. Koerstz Madsen eventually gave the nod to Thitikul to go ahead, and Thitikul proceeded to nearly dunk her approach for eagle.

Koerstz Madsen couldn’t match the effort, missing the green left. She did, however, nestle her third shot close, and after Thitikul failed to convert for birdie, the pair moved on to a second playoff hole after matching pars.

The second time around, Koerstz Madsen’s tee shot hit the cart path and she hit her hybrid from 216 yards with her right foot still on the concrete. Her approach shot leaked right into the water, opening the door for the rookie to make her mark.

Thitikul needed only to three-putt for bogey to collet her first LPGA victory.

Earlier this month, Koerstz Madsen, whose fiancé Nicki Hansen caddies for her on tour, won the Honda LPGA Thailand in a playoff with an eagle on the final hole.

Nanna Koerstz Madsen tees off the second hole during the final round of the 2022 JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California. (Photo: Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Last year at the AIG Women’s British Open, Koerstz Madsen came into the 72nd hole tied with Anna Nordqvist but suffered a heart-breaking double-bogey on the taxing 18th that included a shocking shank from a green-side bunker.

That now seems a distant memory.

“I do think before I was chasing a lot the birdies,” said Koerstz Madsen. “I have changed my game plan a little bit the way I hit into the greens. Nicki is in charge of that actually. I just hit the shot. He tells me exactly where I should hit the ball. Just the mentality of not being too aggressive, going after everything, and it’s okay to have a 7-meter putt. Sometimes that’s good enough. And then you go for the pin wherever you can, obviously.

“The British Open was really a good experience for me. I think after the British Open I really wanted to put myself in that position again, so I worked very hard to get there again.”

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Six Thai players to watch at Honda LPGA Thailand, including a world-class rookie

A total of 10 players from Thailand are in the field this week. Here’s a closer look at some of the host nation’s best.

As the Honda LPGA Thailand celebrates its 15th year, golf in Thailand has never been so robust. Last year Ariya Jutanugarn became the first Thai player to win the event, fitting given that she was the first Thai to win on the LPGA and rise to No. 1.

Incredibly, Thai players finished 1-2-3 last year with LPGA rookie Atthaya Thitikul placing second and last year’s Chevron winner, Patty Tavatanakit coming in third.

This marks the 10th time the Honda Thailand will be contested on the Pattaya Old Course at Siam Country Club.

A total of 10 players from Thailand are in the field: Jaravee Boonchant (Bangkok), Ariya Jutanugarn (Bangkok), Moriya Jutanugarn (Bangkok), Wichanee Meechai (Bangkok), Jasmine Suwannapura (Bangkok), Rina Tatematsu (Bangkok), Patty Tavatanakit (Bangkok), Prima Thammaraks (Bangkok), Atthaya Thitikul (Ratchaburi) and Chanettee Wannasaen (Chiang Mai).

Here’s a closer look at some of the host nation’s best:

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko co-leads HSBC in Singapore, records 13th consecutive round in the 60s

With 13 consecutive rounds in the 60s, Jin Young Ko just one off the mark for most in a row – a record she already shares.

Once again, Jin Young Ko finds herself in the midst of an impressive and potentially record-breaking streak. The World No. 1 posted a breezy 5-under 67 at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on Friday, giving her 13 consecutive rounds in the 60s dating back to the 2021 BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea in October.

Last season Ko took a share of the record for most consecutive rounds in the 60s at 14 with Annika Sorenstam and So Yeon Ryu.

Ko now co-leads the HSBC at the midway point with Amy Yang at 8 under.

“It was a great round today,” said Ko. “And I tried to make more birdies and make more opportunity for birdie chance today.”

South Korea’s Yang looks to add a fifth career LPGA title. All four of her previous wins have come on the Asian swing.

Brooke Henderson (left) smiles with Jin Young Ko on the 18th green after their second round of the HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club on March 4, 2022 in Singapore. (Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

A trio of players are tied for third at 7 under, including Brooke Henderson, Megan Khang and rookie Atthaya Thitikul, who won the 2018 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific on the New Tanjong Course.

“I think my game is fine,” said Thitikul. “I mean, not like my A game, anyway, but just trying to give myself a lot of chances to make it and then just like commit to it and then have a good roll-in for the putt, it will be good.”

Khang was scrambling to get situated in Singapore after arriving a day late due to flight issues. That gave her even less time to work with new caddie Missy Pedersen, whose regular boss, Brittany Lincicome, was unable to travel.

“(Missy and I) really haven’t had a full day until yesterday together. And so we’ve just kind of been chatting along,” said Khang. “I obviously know her usual player, Brittany Lincicome, and so we’ve just been kind of sharing some funny stories that we’ve had and really trying to keep our minds off of things.”

This marks Ko’s first start of the 2022 season. She won her last start on the LPGA, the CME Group Tour Championship in November, while battling a wrist injury that kept her from properly warming up before each round. Ko’s back to being able to practice as she’d like, heading to the range Friday after her bogey-free effort, noting that she wasn’t satisfied.

“Like my swing feels is a little different as front nine to back nine,” said Ko. “So I feel more comfortable in the back nine, so I just want to find – I just want to find what happened in the front nine, is it mentally or is it like warmup or like needing more stretch before the tee off? So, yeah, I will go to the range right now.”

Meet each of the 46 players who earned LPGA cards at Q-Series for 2022

Get to know the players who earned status for 2022.

A total of 29 players earned LPGA status for the first time following an eight-round grind at Q-Series over the last two weeks. Winner Na Rin An was among them, carding Sunday’s lowest-round, 6-under 66, to finish at 33 under.

In all, 46 players left Dothan, Alabama with LPGA status. Among the high-ranking elites was a major winner in Hinako Shibuno and a hotshot from Thailand, Atthaya Thitikul, who dominated in Europe this season, and a couple of sisters from Taiwan. A total of four amateurs earned LPGA status for 2022, should they accept.

Here’s a closer look at the 46 who earned their LPGA cards for 2022.

American Ryann O’Toole wins first LPGA title at Women’s Scottish Open in 228th career start

Ryann O’Toole closes in 64 to clinch her first LPGA victory in here 228th career start at Dumbarnie Links.

Ryann O’Toole looked like she’d done this sort of thing – win – a thousand times as she made her way down the stretch at Dumbarnie Links. But this was a first for the veteran American, who captured her maiden LPGA title in her 228th career start.

O’Toole, 34, joined the LPGA in 2011 and in her 11th season on the LPGA clinched the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open with a magnificent 8-under 64 to win by three.

“I can’t even describe it,” said O’Toole. “I have obviously been working my whole life for this. I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a kid.”

O’Toole came into the final round tied for the lead at 9 under with former No. 1 and 2018 Scottish Open winner Ariya Jutanugarn and England’s Charley Hull. Atthaya Thitikul, 18, and Lydia Ko put pressure on O’Toole, who never flinched and ultimately pulled away with three birdies on the last six holes and a bogey-free scorecard.

Ko carded a course record-tying 9-under 63 to finish tied for second with Thitikul, who posted a 66 to join her at 14 under. Thitikul, a member of the Ladies European Tour who also finished runner-up on the LPGA earlier this year in Thailand, needed to win to earn her LPGA card.

“So unbelievable to me,” said Thitikul. “I’m not a big fan of links, but I can shoot under par every day.”

O’Toole, a ULCA grad with more than $2 million in career earnings, had never held a share of the lead going into the final round of an LPGA event. She felt nervous about that fact Saturday evening and tried to keep her cell phone time to a minimum.

There was no sweeter call, however, than the FaceTime with her mom after the round when she was drenched in champagne. O’Toole’s fiancé, Gina Marra, happened to be in Scotland to celebrate. The couple plans to wed in December.

There were times when O’Toole wondered if she’d ever win on the LPGA. In fact, she’d been wondering lately if 2021 might be her last season on tour. She wants to start a family with Marra, and playing the tour as a mom never had appealed to O’Toole. The idea of stepping away from the LPGA sometime in the future, perhaps at the end of this year even, helped her to let go of the pressure of trying to make something happen. There’s more to life, she decided.

“I’m Ryann in a lot of different ways rather than just Ryann the golfer,” she said.

Even so, walking away without a title would’ve eaten at her.

“I definitely feel like it would have been unfinished business and something I never would have known what the feeling is,” she said. “Now that I’ve had a taste, I feel like that’s going to be a hard one to give up.”

O’Toole hit 13 fairways and 18 greens in her final round. She clicked well with her new caddie, Michael Curry, who stepped in after her previous caddie, Reid Martin, retired last week. O’Toole said Martin informed her of the decision Sunday at the Amundi Evian Championship, saying he’d grown weary of life on the road.

O’Toole liked the looks of the brand new Dumbarnie Links from the start and got a kick out her mom saying it looked like she was playing on the moon. In her first try at links golf in 2012, O’Toole admittedly had her “butt kicked” at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. She has since learned how to maximize her creativity, hit a low tee shot and play the contours of the greens.

Last year O’Toole had to skip the Scottish Open and AIG Women’s British Open after testing positive for COVID-19. One year later, so much has changed.

“I still think I’m in shock,” said O’Toole. “The hours spent, the grind, the heartache that the sport brings, the constant travel. … For this moment, I hope that it only happens again and again.”

Thai players, led by former No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn, in hot pursuit at Evian Championship

Two-time major winner Ariya Jutanugarn, and her fellow Thai players, are not letting the Amundi Evian Championship become a runaway.

Jeongeun Lee6’s historic round of 10-under 61 – which tied the best round in major championship history – allowed her to open up a seven-stroke lead as half the field got started in the afternoon wave at the Amundi Evian Championship.

It looked like the championship might turn into a blowout.

But not if Thailand’s best had anything to say about it. Ariya Jutanugarn, who teamed up with sister Moriya to win last week’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, eagled the 18th hole to card a 63 and move into a share of second with compatriot Pajaree Anannarukarn, who carded a second-consecutive 68. The pair sit at 12 under for the championship, three shots back of Lee6, whose 127 set a new 36-hole record for all major championships – clipping Brooks Koepka’s 128 at the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA.

“The way she plays is so impressive,” Ariya said of Lee6’s performance. “Actually, I watch her play this morning because she finished before I play. Like she made like everything, and it’s major, so the course is so tough.”

Anannarukarn, who tied for tied for third at last week’s Dow with partner Aditi Ashok, has a habit of writing “good luck” on her golf balls that dates back to when she took up the game around age 12.

“Good luck charm for me,” she said.

Atthaya Thitikul, the 18-year-old Thai phenom who won a Ladies European Tour event in Thailand at age 14, sits eight shots back in a share of seventh after a 2-under 69. Earlier this year, Jutanugarn edged out Thitikul at the Honda LPGA Thailand by one stroke.

Rookie Patty Tavatanakit, the wire-to-wire winner of the 2021 ANA Inspiration, finished in a share of third that week. Tavatanakit withdrew from the Evian on Wednesday, citing travel restriction issues.

Thitikul, who leads the LET’s Race To Costa Del Sol, didn’t feel good about her game warming up on the range Friday but told herself to enjoy the day and stay patient.

“…Every day that we wake up, every day it’s not the same,” said a wise-sounding Thitikul. “Our body is not the same and our feeling is not the same. It’s just like a little things that I think that I can go to the range and then fix it up today.”

The Amundi Evian Championship - Day Two
Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand looks on at the 6th hole during day two of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 23, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Jutanugarn, 25, became the first Thai player to win on the LPGA in 2016 and then won the first of her two majors at the 2016 AIG Women’s British Open. She first rose to No. 1 in the world on June 12, 2017.

Jutanugarn downplayed any expectations she had coming into the week, saying that she simply wanted to make the cut.

How does she feel about her role in growing the game in her native country?

“You know, I feel is great, and especially Atthaya,” said Ariya, “When I look at her age I’m like, oh, I’m almost 10 years older than her.

“But the way they play, the way they work so hard, like 10 times more than me. So I feel like so impressed.”

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Thai players, led by former No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn, in hot pursuit at Evian Championship

Two-time major winner Ariya Jutanugarn, and her fellow Thai players, are not letting the Amundi Evian Championship become a runaway.

Jeongeun Lee6’s historic round of 10-under 61 – which tied the best round in major championship history – allowed her to open up a seven-stroke lead as half the field got started in the afternoon wave at the Amundi Evian Championship.

It looked like the championship might turn into a blowout.

But not if Thailand’s best had anything to say about it. Ariya Jutanugarn, who teamed up with sister Moriya to win last week’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, eagled the 18th hole to card a 63 and move into a share of second with compatriot Pajaree Anannarukarn, who carded a second-consecutive 68. The pair sit at 12 under for the championship, three shots back of Lee6, whose 127 set a new 36-hole record for all major championships – clipping Brooks Koepka’s 128 at the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA.

“The way she plays is so impressive,” Ariya said of Lee6’s performance. “Actually, I watch her play this morning because she finished before I play. Like she made like everything, and it’s major, so the course is so tough.”

Anannarukarn, who tied for tied for third at last week’s Dow with partner Aditi Ashok, has a habit of writing “good luck” on her golf balls that dates back to when she took up the game around age 12.

“Good luck charm for me,” she said.

Atthaya Thitikul, the 18-year-old Thai phenom who won a Ladies European Tour event in Thailand at age 14, sits eight shots back in a share of seventh after a 2-under 69. Earlier this year, Jutanugarn edged out Thitikul at the Honda LPGA Thailand by one stroke.

Rookie Patty Tavatanakit, the wire-to-wire winner of the 2021 ANA Inspiration, finished in a share of third that week. Tavatanakit withdrew from the Evian on Wednesday, citing travel restriction issues.

Thitikul, who leads the LET’s Race To Costa Del Sol, didn’t feel good about her game warming up on the range Friday but told herself to enjoy the day and stay patient.

“…Every day that we wake up, every day it’s not the same,” said a wise-sounding Thitikul. “Our body is not the same and our feeling is not the same. It’s just like a little things that I think that I can go to the range and then fix it up today.”

The Amundi Evian Championship - Day Two
Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand looks on at the 6th hole during day two of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 23, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Jutanugarn, 25, became the first Thai player to win on the LPGA in 2016 and then won the first of her two majors at the 2016 AIG Women’s British Open. She first rose to No. 1 in the world on June 12, 2017.

Jutanugarn downplayed any expectations she had coming into the week, saying that she simply wanted to make the cut.

How does she feel about her role in growing the game in her native country?

“You know, I feel is great, and especially Atthaya,” said Ariya, “When I look at her age I’m like, oh, I’m almost 10 years older than her.

“But the way they play, the way they work so hard, like 10 times more than me. So I feel like so impressed.”

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LPGA: Emotional Ariya Jutanugarn wins at home in Thailand with closing 63

A closing birdie and a long wait for a weather delay lead Jutanugarn to her first victory in her homeland at Honda LPGA Thailand.

Ariya Jutanugarn dropped to her knees on the practice putting green in a heap of sobs. She’d done it. She’d finally won at home in Thailand. The only thing that could’ve made the moment sweeter was a mob of adoring fans.

Jutanugarn is so beloved in Thailand that they made a movie about her life with big sister Moriya. They even put her face on a Gatorade bottle.

“It feels great to be able to win a tournament again,” said Ariya. “It feels even more great to be able to win in Thailand.”

It had been 1,015 days since Jutanugarn’s last LPGA victory. She’s now the first Thai player to win the Honda LPGA Thailand event, which seems fitting given that she was the first Thai to win on the LPGA and rise to No. 1.

Jutanugarn fired a 9-under 63 on Sunday to hold off the next wave of Thai stars, finishing at 22 under for the tournament. Remarkably, Thai players finished 1-2-3.

Atthaya Thitikul closed with a 68 to finish one shot back in solo second, while ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit finished in a tie for third at 20 under along with three-time Honda Thailand winner Amy Yang, Angel Yin and So Yeon Ryu.

“You know, I feel like I handled everything pretty well,” said Tavatanakit, who entered the final round with a one-shot lead and carded a second consecutive 70. “Just didn’t hit it great today. I grinded back to shoot 2 under par again.

“I mean, I played eight rounds in Asia and I shot under par in all of them. I’m still pretty proud of myself.”

Jutanugarn birdied the first three holes Sunday and made the turn in 30. She closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th, the hole she tripled in 2013 to squander a two-shot lead to eventual winner Inbee Park.

And then she waited.

At 2:47 p.m. local time, with the final group still in the fairway, play was suspended due to inclement weather. Thitikul was in the 18th fairway when played stopped for over an hour. She needed an eagle to win and a birdie to force a playoff.

“You know, I grab my phone and I look at my caddie and I’m like, ‘I shouldn’t turn on my phone, right?’” said Jutanugarn of the delay. “He’s like, ‘No, don’t turn on your phone.’ ”

She instead headed to the range and listened to music with her sister.

When play resumed, Jutanugarn wanted to go to the 18th to watch the finish, but caddie Pete Godfrey advised against it.

“On the putting green, I wanted to watch how they play so bad,” she said. “I want to know because I feel like I have to go playoff anyway, but my caddie stop me from doing that.

“He’s like, ‘You watch or you not watching them play the result not going to change. How about you just putt and practice?’ ”

She followed the advice. When Godfrey came over and told this boss that she’d won, Jutanugarn broke down sobbing.

A two-time major champion who became the youngest player to ever qualify for an LPGA event at age 11 when she played in Thailand, Jutanugarn now owns 11 LPGA titles and has amassed over $9 million in earnings. She has always said she plays to inspire and help the youth in Thailand.

She admitted that lately, it’s been tough to keep up the grind.

Before the round, Jutanugarn spoke with longtime mental coaches Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott. For Nilsson’s birthday, Jutanugarn promised that she’d focus more on her commitment to each shot in the final round and less on outcome.

“I would say without them, I’m not who I am right now,” said Jutanugarn of her strong team of supporters.

“Because how many times I just want to like stop and I feel like (it’s) so tough for me, but they – like Pia and Lynn told me this morning, I want you to believe in yourself at the same level they believing in me.

“So that just mean so much to me. After I talk to them, I feel like I just come back and believe in myself, and one day I’m going to get what I want.”

At long last, that day has arrived.

Rising superstar Patty Tavatanakit jumps out to three-shot lead at Honda Thailand LPGA

No Thai player has ever won the Honda Thailand LPGA event. Patty Tavatanakit is looking to become the first.

No Thai player has ever won the Honda Thailand LPGA event. Thailand’s newest superstar, Patty Tavatanakit, looks to become the first as she leads by three after a second consecutive 8-under 64. But she’s hardly alone in the quest. Atthaya Thitikul, an 18-year-old Thai pro who has won twice on the Ladies European Tour, sits alone in second after a 5-under 67.

Tavatanakit’s 16-under total ties the event’s 36-hole scoring record, last achieved by Jessica Korda in her 2018 victory at Siam Country Club. The powerful Thai player reached the closing 471-yard par-5 in two and drained a 12-foot putt for eagle.

“Didn’t really hit a good drive off 18 and then just kind of forgot about it, don’t let it bother me and move on to the second shot,” said Tavatanakit, “which was pretty good, actually. It was 246 to the hole and probably like 210 to the front, so I was just trying to hit the front number … just the perfect shot.”

Germany’s Caroline Masson sits alone in third at 12 under after a second consecutive 66. Gaby Lopez, Lydia Ko and Nanna Koerstz Madsen are tied for fourth at 11 under.

Thitikul, who is playing on a sponsor invite, recorded her third eagle of the week on the par-5 seventh.

“I’m really surprised with that eagle,” said Thitikul. “When I was going to putt I feel like … two days with three eagles. Can I or not?”

Playing alongside Thitikul feels deeply familiar for Tavatanakit given how often they played together on the Thai national team, especially at Siam Country Club.

“She is an amazing player,” asid Tavatanakit. “Like just watching her play just makes me so proud of like younger Thai players that they’re building themselves, their game, to reach the highest level they can be.”

Ariya Jutanugarn, the first Thai player to ever win on the LPGA and reach No. 1 in the world, sits six shots back in a share of seventh. After last week’s tie for third in Singapore, Tavatanki moved to No. 12 in the world and is the highest-ranked Thai player. The former UCLA Bruin said she’s feeling pretty light mentally heading into the weekend.

“You know, yesterday was probably a perfect day of ball-striking,” she said, “but today wasn’t. Just goes to show that no matter how not perfect you are, you can still manage to get yourself together around the course to shoot low scores.”

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