Chanettee Wannasaen still can’t be touched at the Queen City Championship, and she heads into the weekend with a two-shot advantage. The Thai golfer shot a 4-under 68 at the soggy TPC River’s Bend, bringing her total score to 13-under 131. With this performance, she is poised to win for the third week in a row on the LPGA Tour.
Wannasaen started the tournament well, carding a low round of 63 on day one. She displayed her shot making prowess once more when she holed out for eagle on the par-4 13th for the second straight day. Her steady performance has turned her into a serious threat to win this event.
Trailing Wannasaen on the leaderboard are Jeeno Thitikul and Charley Hull, both tied for runner-up. Thitikul, the world number one Thai phenom, had herself quite a round. Her round was highlighted by a gorgeous 64, which featured four straight birdies on the back nine, leaving her with a magnificent score of 11-under 133. Thitikul, who won the Mizuho Americas Open in June, is a member of the young class of rising stars in women’s golf. That win was her fifth LPGA Tour victory!
Hull also showed remarkable resilience, capping off his day with a bogey-free 65. Her lone eagle was on the par-5 11th with birdies on the final two holes. Hull recently picked up a runner-up finish in Houston. That success occurred in the Aramco series on the Ladies European Tour.
Lydia Ko, the defending champion, made a move with a second straight 69 to get to 5-under for the week. Even after falling way off the pace of the front runners, Ko has continued to prove herself as a perennial competitor at the major.
Prior to receiving her trophy, Wannasaen spoke of her mindset and enjoying herself in pursuit of a second title.
“I just want me to play like this,” – Chanettee Wannasaen
With players preparing to make their final plays on the back nine, Nelly Korda had tips for staying aggressively aggressive in tough conditions.
“I not think about the score. I just want hit driver like this, hit iron like this. I just want to enjoy with the golf again.” – Chanettee Wannasaen
Korda emphasized the importance of accuracy in the wet conditions:
“You just have to really stay aggressive,” – Nelly Korda
As the tournament nears its conclusion, all eyes may be on Wannasaen. She is certainly motivated to win for a third-straight time, but she’ll have a battle against world No. 1 Thitikul and fellow rising star Hull.
“The greens are pretty soft so you can, but hitting fairways, hitting greens is the key to eventually having a putt.” – Nelly Korda
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Wannasaen as she aims to secure her third consecutive victory and fend off strong competition from Thitikul and Hull.
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