Jeeno Thitikul takes advantage of changing weather for a 69 to open 3-shot lead on LPGA
WEST CALDWELL, N. J. (AP) — Jeeno Thitikul took advantage on a friendly change in the weather Friday and closed with four birdies over her last seven holes to build a three-shot lead in the Mizuho Americas Open.
Jennifer Kupcho shot 69 in the morning, finishing with a 15-foot par save on the par-4 18th that was playing more than one shot over par for the early starters. The greens were firm and the rough was thick, putting a premium on par. Thitikul experienced that when she didn't make a birdie until her eighth hole, the par-5 17th.
But then Mountain Ridge got just enough rain to take some of the fire out of the course, and the wind seemed to leave town with the light rain. “Luckily we don't have much wind on the back nine after the rain came, and then the wind just like shut down,” Thitikul said. “Then we just lucky.
If we got the breeze (like on) the front nine, I don't think my number is going to be that low, for sure. ” She was at 8-under 136 going into the weekend with a chance to win for the first time this year, and the first time since losing her No. 1 ranking to Nelly Korda, who is not playing this week.
Conditions were so tough late in the morning that Lydia Ko had an easy time accepting her 75 that ultimately put her six shots out of the lead. “Probably one of the rare occasions where you shoot 75 and you’re not like stressing out too much about it,” Ko said. “The greens are pretty undulating and you leave yourself in some positions above the hole and you don’t even know if you can hold it on the green at that point.