Jeeno Thitikul, a 22-year-old golfer from Thailand, secured a strong start in her quest for a first major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She completed the first round on the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco with a remarkable score of 4-under 68. Her performance was of such a caliber! Her dazzling technical and artistic performance launched her to the top of the leader board. She’s currently reveling in a one-stroke advantage over fellow pro golfer from Australia, Minjee Lee.
Thitikul’s path to the top of the tournament wasn’t without its own trials and tribulations. She took a double bogey on the fifth green after her drive went OB. That blunder almost proved to be her undoing. From start to finish during the round, she showed extraordinary composure and fortitude. The budding superstar didn’t let the triple deter her, carding seven birdies on the day. Five of the feathered friends came in a six-hole span!
Her short game was on full display on the par-3 eighth hole when she knocked in a toe-curling 60-footer for birdie. This long putt was the start of a ridiculous run. It moved her total score to 5 under, at the time the lowest score of the day. Thitikul displayed some incredible short game magic at the par-3 13th hole. She had an incredible explosion from the sand, pin-pointing it just 5½ feet from the hole to save par.
Thitikul’s putter was perhaps her greatest strength the first day, needing just 25 putts on the week’s most challenging course. That precision clearly played a role in her high score and confidence as she drove through the complex and demanding Course Design of the Year layout. She averted disaster by saving par after missing a birdie attempt on the 434-yard, par-4 18th hole. With her strong performance, she set herself up nicely to move smoothly into the next rounds.
Having recently moved to the Dallas area, Thitikul is familiar with the local golfing conditions, which may have contributed to her strong showing. Right now, she sits at No. 17 in the women’s world rankings. As a new star of the sport, she is consistently just starting to draw more focus for her amazing skills on the course.
While she chases her first significant crown, Thitikul is still determined to keep her grasp on this famed occurrence. Her combination of talent, grit, and intelligent play has created an exciting dynamic heading into the later rounds. All eyes are now focused on the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship — a major event with a global field. This goes to show the remarkable depth of talent in women’s golf, and Thitikul certainly made herself a favorite coming in.
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