Jeeno Thitikul Dominates the CME Group Tour Championship with a Spectacular Round
In Naples, Florida, Jeeno Thitikul delivered a performance worthy of the number one in women’s golf, achieving an impressive 63, nine under par. This outstanding round gives her a three-stroke lead at the CME Group Tour Championship, bringing her closer to another $4 million prize and recognition as LPGA Player of the Year. The Thai golfer, defending champion, demonstrated her skill on the course, accumulating nine birdies without making any mistakes. Her performance was especially notable in the second half of the round, where she strung together four consecutive birdies and added six in a span of eight holes.Nelly Korda, who was surpassed by Thitikul in the world ranking at the beginning of this year, achieved a 64, placing herself in a prominent position in the table. Despite a slow start, Korda is five strokes behind the leader, seeking her first victory of the year. Somi Lee, with an opening round of 64, faced difficulties with a bogey on the first par 5 hole and failed to maintain the pace. With two birdies in the last five holes, she finished with 70 strokes, four behind the leader, as did Nasa Hataoka (67). Sei Young Kim, Thitikul’s playing partner, did her best to keep up, making six birdies on the back nine and finishing with a 66. Thitikul’s performance has been impressive, leading the tournament with a total of 14 under par, 130 strokes. Her game has left a clear mark on the course, with a consistent and strategic game. Regarding the race for the LPGA Player of the Year award, Thitikul leads the points-based standings. The only player who could surpass her is Miyuu Yamashita, winner of the Women’s British Open, who is nine strokes behind. Thitikul and Yamashita are the only players with multiple wins this year. The tournament winner will take home a prize of $4 million, the highest in women’s golf. With 36 holes to play, seven players are within five strokes of Thitikul, including Brooke Henderson and Minjee Lee. Thitikul knows she will need to maintain her pace to secure the victory, as scores are usually very low in this tournament.“Better than yesterday, for sure,” Thitikul declared with a smile. “I have no complaints, no bogeys and nine birdies. I’ll take it.”
Jeeno Thitikul
