MAINEVILLE, Ohio — Jeeno Thitikul had a tough time closing but did enough to extend her lead over Hall of Famer Lydia Ko, finishing with a birdie for a 4-under 68 on Saturday and a two-shot lead at the Kroger Queen City Championship. . .
Thitikul holed a 20-footer for birdie on the par-4 15th hole to move to 5 under for the day and 17 under for the tournament, four shots ahead of Ko, before dropping a shot on two holes the following. He closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th at TPC River’s Bend for a 54-hole total of 16-under 200 in hot, dry conditions that caused the golf course to freeze.
“I have an 8 iron on the second shot on a par 5. I’m just like, ‘How can I have an 8 iron on a par 5 and how can I drive like that?'” Thitikul said. “It’s not exactly my height. Like a bounce or maybe I got off to a really good start.”
Ko shot a 69. Yan Liu (68) was three shots behind, while Albane Valenzuela (68) and Haeran Ryu (70) were four behind.
Top class Nelly Korda couldn’t charge. He shot a 69 and was part of the big 10-under group.
Thitikul, ranked 15th in the women’s world, teamed with Ruoning Yin to win the Dow Championship this year but has not had an individual victory in almost two years.
“Every player chasing the leaderboard can go down a lot,” said the Thai player. “If you can make as many birdies as possible then just play your game, whatever it takes.”
Third-ranked Ko is trying to extend a dream summer that included her gold medal at the Paris Olympics — a victory that put her in the LPGA Hall of Fame — and her third major title at the Women’s British Open in St. Louis. Andrews.
“I think that in everything I was consistent with my hitting the ball,” he said. “Putting has been part of my normal game this week. I can still make important points at the right time. Sometimes when you give yourself a lot of chances you feel like you’re not putting them right. You really are, so I was just trying not to get down on myself.”
Valenzuela, from Switzerland, was the best of the 11 players on the field last week when America beat Europe in the Solheim Cup.
“It was a great blessing. Playing in Solheim was a dream come true and the crowd on Sunday was crazy,” he said. “I think it just gave me strength.”
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