Jeeno Thitikul rounded out her magical run through the CME Group Tour Championship with a thrilling last 8-under 64 on Saturday. The Thai golfer, who leads the field in putting, dazzled with nine birdies on Friday for the second consecutive day. This stellar showing pushed her to a comfortable six-shot margin as she enters the tournament’s final 18 holes.
Thitikul’s 22-under 196 is a jaw-dropping stat line. Through the 54 holes she has knocked in an impressive 24 birdies (one eagle, too). Still, her dominant play this season has set her up for a potential repeat victory. She would become the first to join Jin Young Ko as the only back-to-back winners of this storied championship. That’s a far cry from last year, when Thitikul won the title at a staggering 22-under par. Her track record so far places her in a great position to reach that success once more.
After starting with a bogey on the par-5 No. 1, a round with Thitikul was back on track as she made an immediate response. In fact, she racked up four birdies in her first five holes. Her run of four straight birdies on the back nine for good measure capped her lead. Her precision has been the surprise standout of the whole tournament. She’s hit every fairway but one and only five missed greens in regulation as she enters the final round.
“Trying to make birdies and birdies and birdies,” Thitikul said, reflecting on her aggressive strategy during the tournament. She is hellbent on not having a second winless season on the LPGA Tour in three years. That’s after a phenomenal 2022 in which she claimed her first seven victories, including one of golf’s major championships.
As Thitikul heads into the final round, she has a significant opportunity not only to claim the championship but to sweep all awards on the LPGA Tour. Indeed, winning the CME Group Tour Championship in November comes with a massive $4 million winner’s prize. This win would cement her legacy in women’s golf even further.
Even Nelly Korda, one of Thitikul’s competitors, knows the sort of pressure that accompanies high stakes like that. “You are out there competing hard and you’re trying to win, but you have to not get too ahead of yourself and play the game,” Korda noted. This feeling gives voice to the tension that golfers are constantly juggling between aspiration and relaxation.
Thitikul’s incredible poise and concentration through the four-day tournament has turned her into an unstoppable force on the links. As she prepares for the fiendishly tricky final round, fans will be just as captivated. Fellow competitors too are on high alert, wanting to see if she can maintain her lead and clinch another championship.
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