Tag: Pinnacle Country Club

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship prize money payouts for each LPGA player at Pinnacle Country Club

Jasmine Suwannapura earned $450,000 for her third LPGA win.

Jasmine Suwannapura won the 2024 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship for her third LPGA title and first this season.

Suwannapura shot a final-round 61 to tie Lucy Li – who shot a final-round 60 – to force a playoff at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas.

Two playoff holes later, Suwannapura was celebrating victory after making her second eagle on the par-5 18th hole in one day.

For the win, Suwannapura earned $450,000. She’s now made $687,702 this season and $4,054,098 in her career. She is the 117th player to surpass the $4 million mark on the LPGA.

Prize money payouts at the 2024 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Jasmine Suwannapura -17 $450,000
2 Lucy Li -17 $275,072
3 Sei Young Kim -16 $199,545
T4 Mao Saigo -14 $139,305
T4 Arpichaya Yubol -14 $139,305
6 Ashleigh Buhai -13 $101,655
T7 Lauren Hartlage -12 $68,824
T7 Jennifer Kupcho -12 $68,824
T7 Linnea Strom -12 $68,824
T7 Jeeno Thitikul -12 $68,824
T7 Nasa Hataoka -12 $68,824
T12 Jin Hee Im -11 $46,685
T12 Grace Kim -11 $46,685
T12 Jenny Shin -11 $46,685
T12 Kristen Gillman -11 $46,685
T12 Yuna Nishimura -11 $46,685
T17 Yealimi Noh -10 $35,441
T17 Yu Liu -10 $35,441
T17 Cheyenne Knight -10 $35,441
T17 Lexi Thompson -10 $35,441
T17 Maria Marin (a) -10 $0
T17 Liqi Zeng -10 $35,441
T17 Pajaree Anannarukarn -10 $35,441
T24 Jennifer Chang -9 $29,869
T24 Maja Stark -9 $29,869
T24 Wei-Ling Hsu -9 $29,869
T27 Georgia Hall -8 $23,298
T27 Kiira Riihijarvi -8 $23,298
T27 Nicole Broch Estrup -8 $23,298
T27 Benedetta Moresco -8 $23,298
T27 Jodi Ewart Shadoff -8 $23,298
T27 Carlota Ciganda -8 $23,298
T27 Gurleen Kaur -8 $23,298
T27 Robyn Choi -8 $23,298
T27 Olivia Cowan -8 $23,298
T27 Gaby Lopez -8 $23,298
T37 Leona Maguire -7 $16,394
T37 Mina Harigae -7 $16,394
T37 Madelene Sagstrom -7 $16,394
T37 Laura Wearn -7 $16,394
T37 Celine Boutier -7 $16,394
T37 Stephanie Kyriacou -7 $16,394
T37 Minami Katsu -7 $16,394
T44 Celine Borge -6 $11,004
T44 Mi Hyang Lee -6 $11,004
T44 Kaitlyn Papp Budde -6 $11,004
T44 Savannah Grewal -6 $11,004
T44 Ally Ewing -6 $11,004
T44 Sandra Gal -6 $11,004
T44 Stacy Lewis -6 $11,004
T44 Amy Yang -6 $11,004
T44 Gabriela Ruffels -6 $11,004
T44 Auston Kim -6 $11,004
T44 A Lim Kim -6 $11,004
T44 Gemma Dryburgh -6 $11,004
T44 Polly Mack -6 $11,004
T44 Dottie Ardina -6 $11,004
T58 Lilia Vu -5 $7,659
T58 Lindy Duncan -5 $7,659
T58 Maude-Aimee LeBlanc -5 $7,659
T58 Jing Yan -5 $7,659
T58 Emma Talley -5 $7,659
T58 Paula Reto -5 $7,659
T58 Maria Fassi -5 $7,659
T65 Peiyun Chien -4 $6,777
T65 Pernilla Lindberg -4 $6,777
T65 Megan Khang -4 $6,777
T68 Amanda Doherty -3 $6,250
T68 Nanna Koerstz Madsen -3 $6,250
T68 Lindsey Weaver-Wright -3 $6,250
T68 Hee Young Park -3 $6,250
T72 Min Lee -2 $5,873
T72 Aline Krauter -2 $5,873
T72 Weiwei Zhang -2 $5,873
75 Gina Kim E $5,722
76 Minji Kang 1 $5,654
77 Emily Kristine Pedersen 5 $5,582

 

Jasmine Suwannapura fires 61, wins playoff at 2024 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Suwannapura wins third LPGA title.

Lucy Li had three eagles and shot a final-round 60 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. And she needed all of it to earn a spot in a playoff.

A short while after Li eagled the par-5 18th hole, Jasmine Suwannapura eagled it herself to shoot a 61 and get to 17 under to tie for the lead at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas.

The duo then dueled in extra holes, and on the second playoff hole, Suwannapura hit an amazing second shot that found the back of the green before rolling back to about 12 feet.

https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1840503116224999432

She then made the putt for yet another eagle on the par-5 18th, but this one was the clincher.

Suwannapura is the fifth player from Thailand to win on the LPGA in 2024, joining Moriya Jutanugarn (Portland Classic), Patty Tavatanakit (Honda LPGA Thailand), Jeeno Thitikul (Dow Championship) and Chanettee Wannasaen (Dana Open). Suwannapura is the 18th different winner on the LPGA this season.

Lucy Li has three Sunday eagles, shoots 60 at 2024 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Li made her third eagle of the round on the par-5 closing hole.

Lucy Li was even through six holes Sunday at Pinnacle Country Club during the final round of the LPGA’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Then she started making her move.

She birdied No. 7, holed out for eagle on the par-4 eighth, birdied the ninth to make the turn in 32. Back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 got her to 12 under and then after a pair of pars, she made her second eagle of the day with a 3 on the par-5 14th. Another birdie on the 15th got her to 15 under and take the outright lead.

On 18, Li made her third eagle of the round on the par-5 closing hole by draining a 30-foot putt to fire a final-round 60 and take the clubhouse lead at 17 under.

https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1840472440356389323

Ten years ago, at age 11, Li became the youngest golfer to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Open.

Now at age 21, Li eyes her first LPGA win.

2023 Walmart NW Arkansas prize money payouts for each LPGA player

The total purse for the longtime LPGA event was $2,300,000.

Hae Ran Ryu took home $345,000 for her first victory on the LPGA thanks to a back-nine 29 on Sunday at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

The total purse for the longtime LPGA event was $2,300,000.

Former Arizona standout Bianca Pagdanganan came into the event with $65,512 in season earnings and nearly doubled that with a $112,775 payday for a share of third. The long-hitting player made two eagles on the back nine at Pinnacle Country Club in her closing 29.

Former No. 1 Lydia Ko turned heads with her opening 65 but then dropped down to a share of 48th after rounds of 72-70. Ko came into the week 84th on the money list with $209,776. She made over $4 million last season.

Check out the prize money payouts at the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

Position Golfer Score Earnings
1 Hae Ran Ryu -19 $345,000
2 Linnea Strom -16 $214,011
T3 Bianca Pagdanganan -15 $112,775
T3 Sei Young Kim -15 $112,775
T3 Jenny Shin -15 $112,775
T3 Yuna Nishimura -15 $112,775
7 Hannah Green -14 $66,201
T8 Yealimi Noh -13 $55,070
T8 Lexi Thompson -13 $55,070
T10 Elizabeth Szokol -12 $37,933
T10 Lindsey Weaver-Wright -12 $37,933
T10 Muni He -12 $37,933
T10 Pornanong Phatlum -12 $37,933
T10 Sarah Schmelzel -12 $37,933
T10 Dottie Ardina -12 $37,933
T10 Jodi Ewart Shadoff -12 $37,933
T10 Xiaowen Yin -12 $37,933
T18 Grace Kim -11 $26,996
T18 Jeongeun Lee5 -11 $26,996
T18 Hyo Joon Jang -11 $26,996
T18 Eun-Hee Ji -11 $26,996
T18 Cheyenne Knight -11 $26,996
T23 Jeongeun Lee6 -10 $22,819
T23 Mel Reid -10 $22,819
T23 Jaravee Boonchant -10 $22,819
T23 Yuka Saso -10 $22,819
T27 Bailey Tardy -9 $18,445
T27 Nicole Broch Estrup -9 $18,445
T27 In Gee Chun -9 $18,445
T27 Jennifer Song -9 $18,445
T27 Pajaree Anannarukarn -9 $18,445
T27 Georgia Hall -9 $18,445
T27 A Lim Kim -9 $18,445
T34 Marina Alex -8 $13,577
T34 Alison Lee -8 $13,577
T34 Lauren Stephenson -8 $13,577
T34 Karis Davidson -8 $13,577
T34 Minami Katsu -8 $13,577
T34 Pernilla Lindberg -8 $13,577
T34 Aline Krauter -8 $13,577
T34 Olivia Cowan -8 $13,577
T42 Amanda Doherty -7 $10,194
T42 Lucy Li -7 $10,194
T42 Wei-Ling Hsu -7 $10,194
T42 Celine Herbin -7 $10,194
T42 Maria Fassi -7 $10,194
T42 Sofia Garcia -7 $10,194
T48 Allison Emrey -6 $7,291
T48 Gaby Lopez -6 $7,291
T48 Chanettee Wannasaen -6 $7,291
T48 Jasmine Suwannapura -6 $7,291
T48 Atthaya Thitikul -6 $7,291
T48 Perrine Delacour -6 $7,291
T48 Brittany Lincicome -6 $7,291
T48 Yu-Sang Hou -6 $7,291
T48 Bronte Law -6 $7,291
T48 Hyo Joo Kim -6 $7,291
T48 Lydia Ko -6 $7,291
T48 Gerina Mendoza -6 $7,291
T48 Christina Kim -6 $7,291
61 Lindy Duncan -5 $5,742
T62 Lilly Thomas (a) -4 $0
T62 Samantha Wagner -4 $5,331
T62 Leona Maguire -4 $5,331
T62 Yan Liu -4 $5,331
T62 Brooke Matthews -4 $5,331
T62 Su Oh -4 $5,331
T62 Pauline Roussin -4 $5,331
T69 Narin An -3 $4,862
T69 Stephanie Kyriacou -3 $4,862
71 Emily Kristine Pedersen -2 $4,687

 

Rookie Hae Ran Ryu wins first LPGA title at Walmart NW Arkansas

Lexi Thompson, fresh off the Solheim Cup, posts first top-10 of the season on the LPGA.

Rookie Hae Ran Ryu began the final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship with a two-stroke advantage, and when the leaderboard bunched up Sunday afternoon, Ryu hit the gas on the back nine with a closing 29 to win by three.

The shot of the day came when Ryu hit her second shot within inches of an albatross on the par-5 14th. The well-struck 7-iron set up a short eagle putt.

Ryu, a five-time winner on the KLPGA, finished the tournament at 19-under 194 for the 54-hole event. She’s the fifth rookie to win this season, setting a new LPGA benchmark.

Sweden’s Linnea Strom finished solo second after a closing 64.

Ryu said she struggled with distance control on the front nine, recording a couple of bogeys after hitting her approach shots too far. She adjusted, and checked off a major goal for the year.

“Before the season, I want to get a Rookie of the Year,” said Ryu, “but now I got winner on the LPGA and I want to get Rookie of the Year and so now, so meaningful.”

Ryu came into the Arkansas event with a 113-point lead in the rookie race despite not yet winning on tour.

Lexi Thompson, coming off a strong Solheim Cup showing, posted her best finish of the season. The veteran American player briefly held a share of the lead at the midway point but played the last six holes in even par. Still, her closing 66 gives momentum to what’s easily been the worst season of her career. Prior to the Arkansas event, Thompson’s lone top-20 finish of the year came at the Kroger Queen City Championship.

“It’s the highest honor,” said Thompson of playing in her sixth Solheim last week, “and to be able to pull off some good shots and make some putts for my country, there is absolutely no better feeling.”

Lexi Thompson of the United States plays her shot from the 16th tee during the Final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G at Pinnacle Country Club on October 01, 2023 in Rogers, Arkansas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Bianca Pagdanganan shot 65-64 over the weekend to vault into a share of third. The long-hitting Pagdanganan was 179th coming into the week on the CME points list and and in danger of losing her card. She’s projected to move to 77th after her strong performance in Rogers, Arkansas.

Pagdanganan played the last three holes birdie-birdie-eagle.

Ryu took home $345,000 for the victory.

Lydia Ko led the LPGA money list last year and made $4M, but this year she’s at $200K

Ko counts the 2016 Walmart NW Arkansas event among her 19 wins.

It’s been a minute for Lydia Ko.

The former world No. 1 shot a 65 on Friday in the first round of the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, which is, believe it or not, her best round in a most forgettable season.

Ko had seven birdies and just one bogey and posted her best round of the year so far by a shot. Ko has 19 wins and 102 top-10s in her career but her only top 10 this year came back in February. Her average finish in 2023 is 43rd. She’s played 15 events prior to this week at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, but has missed four cuts. She did make the weekend in three of the five majors but still, this has been the most un-Lydia-Ko-like season.

In 52 rounds in 2023, she’s broken 70 only 15 times, including Friday’s round. Her lowest point this year came a month ago in the third round of the CPKC Women’s Open, where she bottomed out with a 10-over 82.

She’s 84th on the LPGA’s 2023 money list with $209,776. She won the money title a year ago with $4,364,403.

Maybe this is the spark that gets things turned around.

“I played pretty solid. I don’t think I put myself in too many crazy positions where I had to make up and down. Actually hit it in the water on the par-3, 6 or 5, whatever it is, and I had to drop and I chipped it in for par. So that was definitely good momentum because I had gone birdie, bogey, birdie, and if I didn’t chip it in, would’ve been bogey or more,” she said, recounting her round. “So I think that just helped my day going. I set up a lot of good birdie opportunities, especially from 9 onwards, and couple where it was only like a couple feet. So it’s definitely nice to have those kind of stress-free birdies.”

Ko counts the 2016 Walmart NW Arkansas event among her 19 wins. She noted that seven years ago seems like a long time.

“I see the picture of me in the clubhouse and it feels like a really long time ago. It was 2016, so like seven years ago. A lot of things have happened since then,” she said. “It’s always good to be back at a place where I have a lot of good memories. Played with the same pro-am group for eight years, so it’s just feel like it’s home away from home. Outside of my golf, just seeing them is also like a treat for me when I come here to Arkansas.”

Ko has one of six first-round 65s, which are all tied for the lead. Also in the group is Christina Kim and Hannah Green.

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She’s ‘running low’ but Stacy Lewis is keeping her streak alive at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Lewis will play Friday’s first round alongside one of her Solheim Cup captain’s picks.

When Stacy Lewis gives her word, it means something.

Despite dedicating a massive chunk of time over the last two years to her job as captain of the American side in the Solheim Cup, Lewis has boasted in the past that she’s proud that Northwest Arkansas — where she honed her craft in college as a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks golf team — is home to an LPGA event.

So even though she’s dragging quite a bit after her team drew last weekend in Spain — meaning Team Europe got to retain the coveted trophy — Lewis is back at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship this week, keeping alive a streak that dates back to the inaugural event in 2007. It was during that magical week in this plush part of the state that she secured her first LPGA victory, pulling off the feat as an amateur as she edged out Katherine Hull, Teresa Lu and Kristy McPherson.

And while Lewis might be still licking her wounds, at least she’s doing so at a place that’s long felt like a second home. She grew up in The Woodlands, Texas, just outside Houston, and still lives there, but maintaining a strong presence in this corner of Arkansas still means plenty to the two-time major champion.

“That’s part of why I’m here. I want to keep the streak alive and support the event. Yeah, I mean, I’m running low on energy, haven’t played a whole lot of golf, so who knows what this week will be like,” Lewis said. “Just to be back and see all the people that you know, in a familiar place, and try to get my body and brain back into normal routine and what I normally do.

“That’s really what this week is about.”

Since she was leading the American side at the Solheim, Lewis’ preparation for this week’s event has been minimal. She hadn’t played a full round of golf for four weeks before taking part in the pro-am this week, and she admits she might be rusty when the action starts at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, on Friday.

Lewis is still close with Arkansas women’s golf coach Shauna Taylor, who was an assistant with the Razorbacks in 2007 when the former captured the NCAA individual title, marking the first time it had been done in school history.

But while she’s eager to relive some distant memories this week, she’s still working through the recent pain of tying the European side after holding a large early lead at the Solheim. Even with the results, Lewis is still pleased with the way she and her team prepared for the event.

2023 Solheim Cup
Captain Stacy Lewis of Team USA holds her daughter on the first tee on Day One of The Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 22, 2023, in Casares, Spain. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

“I guess I was proud of myself of how much I trusted the process and what we had in place. It’s very easy to second-guess yourself or you kind of get under the gun and you have to make a decision in the moment,” Lewis said. “I really trusted our process of our stats and the facts and what we held as true. Really stuck to the plan. I guess I was most proud of myself. There are some moments where you’re kind of like do I go a different direction? No. This is what we talked about, what we’ve worked on. This works. You need to stick to it.”

One thing Lewis has been mulling over is the lack of a tiebreaker, something that’s been in the rules since the event began in 1990, even though this year marked the first tie. Originally, Lewis sided with history and tradition, but she’s since changed her mind.

“They asked me about that on Sunday when we finished. At the time I was kind of torn on it, of what should you do. The more I thought about it, it’s just we put so much work into this, so much time and so much energy, to end in a tie it’s like a terrible finish. Just a blah finish,” Lewis said. “I do think there needs to be a playoff. I would do a team format. Like one of the first two days where you got to send your best two players and let them go duke it out.

“I think the event deserves that. It would be a cool way to finish on Sunday other than just a team retaining the Cup.”

Lewis will tee it up in the first round Friday alongside one of her Solheim Cup captain’s picks, Cheyenne Knight, as well as a member of the victorious European squad, Georgia Hall.

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Rookie Atthaya Thitikul wins in a playoff for a second time on the LPGA this season, defeating Danielle Kang in Arkansas

It’s the second playoff win for Thitikul this year,

Atthaya Thitikul became the first rookie in five years to win twice in one season after she defeated Danielle Kang in a sudden-death playoff. The 19-year-old Thai player, a former phenom, carded a career-low 61 on Saturday at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and then poured in birdies at just the right time on Sunday.

Thitikul becomes the fourth Thai player to win multiple titles on the LPGA, joining Ariya Jutanugarn (12), Moriya Jutanugarn (2) and Jasmine Suwannapura (2). She’s the fourth player to win multiple LPGA titles in 2022, joining Jennifer Kupcho (3), Minjee Lee (2) and Brooke Henderson (2), who all won majors this season.

“I’m in the final group, then just prove myself that, yeah, you can do it,” she said of joining the Jutanugarns on a short list of Thai players who have won more than one title.

“Even you have a pressure on it, you have a pressure on yourself, and I think it’s mean a lot to me and to my team as well because they know that I can do it, like many times.”

Kang, 29, was making her third start since returning to the tour after testing and treatment for a tumor on her spine. While she hasn’t revealed much about that process, Kang was emotional in a post-round interview, saying she wondered, at times, if she’d ever get the chance to compete at again.

“I don’t think I’ve ever cried by losing,” she said, calling them happy tears.

Kang holed out for eagle on the 18th hole in regulation to take the clubhouse lead at 17 under. Thitikul matched her with a birdie on the penultimate hole. They proceeded to a sudden-death playoff, with Thitikul winning on the second hole with birdie. Both of Thitikul’s LPGA titles this season were won in a playoff.

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Asked if it was any easier the second time around, Thitikul, known by friends at “Jeeno,” said absolutely not.

“Not at all,” she said. “I mean, like I just feel like playing golf with Danielle is kind of tough as well because she is pretty great player, win a lot on LPGA Tour already.”

Thitikul, who closed with a 68, earned $345,000 for her victory, giving her $1,881,392 for the season. She extends her lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race over South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi.

Thitikul’s rookie success shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given how early she found the winner’s circle. In 2017, she became the youngest to ever win a professional tournament when she triumphed on home soil at the Ladies European Thailand Championship at 14 years, 4 months, and 19 days.

Last season, she won the Race to Costa del Sol, Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors at age 18, joining Dame Laura Davies, Carlota Ciganda and Esther Henseleit as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season.

“When you get the job done, and then you feel like release and then it’s just like yeah, the whole world that I had carry on my back, it’s like done,” said Thitikul. “They’re gone. And just know that what you have work is right and then, yeah, the hard work pays off as well.”

‘Tears of joy’: Danielle Kang comes up short in playoff not long after returning to LPGA following diagnosis of a tumor on her spine

“I’m just really proud that I’m even here.”

Nearly four months ago, Danielle Kang revealed at the U.S. Women’s Open she had a tumor on her spine. She took time off for testing and returned to action at the CP Women’s Open in late August, telling reporters that she’d rather keep the details of the process and her health within the team.

In only her third start back, Kang found herself in a playoff against hotshot rookie Atthaya Thitikul at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. She came up short, with Thitikul making birdie on the second playoff hole to win for a second time this season.

Kang broke down in tears during her interview with Golf Channel.

“I’m just really proud that I’m even here,” she said. “Obviously I wanted to win, but these are like tears of joy.”

Kang, 29, holed out for eagle on the par-5 18th Sunday to take the clubhouse lead at 17 under with a closing 64. Thitikul answered moments later with an birdie on the 17th to pull herself into a tie with Kang. The 19-year-old Thai player couldn’t convert for birdie on the final hole, however, and they headed back to the par-3 15th for a sudden-death playoff.

Both Kang and Thitikul won early on in the 2022 season. Thitikul joins Jennifer Kupcho, Minjee Lee and Brooke Henderson as the only multiple winners on tour this season.

The 29-year-old Kang endured back pain for several months before finding out about the tumor in late April after she withdrew from the Palos Verdes Championship.

Kang said earlier in the week in Arkansas that her return has been more stressful that some might think.

“There are some random shots that just come out that I used to not hit,” she said. “It just really irks me the wrong way. I have to be patient. I threw my club once and there is no reason to throw it. I’m 5-under par. I just never used to do that.”

Ball-striking is something the two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion has always taken pride in, but Kang said she returned to action with less swing speed, noting that ball doesn’t stop as quickly as it used to.

She hoped to have some extra patience with herself on Sunday, telling her caddie that her goal was to finish at 17 under.

“Honestly, it’s been hell,” Kang said when it was over.

When asked where Sunday’s finish takes her for the rest of the season, Kang said it’s still going to be a process.

“It’s a struggle almost,” she said, “sometimes in the morning, but I came out here to do something that I love, and I’m just so happy for my team that somehow got me back playing this year.

“I mean, there was part of me that I didn’t think I would ever play again or contend, but here I am. I’m not that far off, and I’m happy about that.”

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Lilia Vu, searching for first LPGA victory, in striking distance at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship heading to final round

A year ago, Lilia Vu was playing on the other side of Arkansas.

A year ago, Lilia Vu was playing on the other side of Arkansas.

Then a member of the Epson Tour, she tied for second at the 2021 El Dorado Shootout, which included a final-round 4-under 68 to finish at 3 under for the week.

Vu is back in the Natural State this week, but she’s far from the place she was last year. Although the El Dorado Shootout is going on this weekend, Vu is in Rogers at Pinnacle Country Club, where she leads the 2022 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship with 18 holes to play looking for her first victory.

“It was never a matter of my game or skills that were lacking, I just wasn’t looking at golf in a healthy or positive way,” Vu said of the changes the past year. “Every shot was life or death. I feel like I figured it out last year, like I’m just going to go out there and have fun. I know how good I am.”

Vu, 24, considered giving up the game in 2019 after missing all but one cut on the LPGA and earning just over $3,000. Heading into Sunday’s final round, she’s playing arguably the best golf of her career and is again within striking distance.

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She fired consecutive rounds of 6-under 65 and sits at 12-under 130. Yet she and the field are chasing Attaya Thitikul, who had a round to remember on Saturday during the second round of the 54-hole event.

Thitikul recorded eight birdies, one eagle and no bogeys en route to a 10-under round of 61. She sits at 14 under and Yuka Saso by one and Lilia Vu by two. Saso also shot 6-under 65 and is at 13 under for the tournament.

The 10-under round for Thitikul ties the tournament record for lowest 18-hole score.

Vu is in the middle of stretch where she has improved her finish in four straight events. Two weeks ago in Portland, she finished tied for third at the AmazingCre Portland Classic. She was also tied for the lead with 18 holes left that week.

“I had a lot of fun today,” Vu said, “And I’m excited for tomorrow, too.”

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