Jeeno Thitikul takes advantage of
changing weather for a 69 to open 3-shot lead on LPGA
[May 09, 2026]
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.”
Andrea Lee, who opened with a 66 for the first-round lead, had five
bogeys in a six-hole stretch on the front nine. She didn't make a
birdie until the 16th hole and shot 79.
[to top of second column] |
Kupcho got out of position on the 17th late in her
round and made bogey on a par 5. The pin on the 18th was tucked over
a bunker, making the approach difficult. She went into the sand,
splashed out to 15 feet and rammed in the par putt. Kupcho has a
serious demeanor when she plays, and she could not help but to break
out into a big smile.
She also questioned some of the tough pin positions
on knobs of undulating greens. And she had reason to think her
5-under 139 would hold up. It looked like it would, at least until
some rain and the absence of wind late in the afternoon.
“Like 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, all of those pin placements were on the
sides of a hill,” Kupcho said. “For the wind and the speed we’re
playing the greens, I don’t know that they’re going to be playable
this afternoon, to be quite honest.
“It’s a really hard golf course,” she said. “All of those greens on
the back nine are also just more undulated, so there is nowhere to
put the pins. It’s just a really hard greens and that’s what it is.”
Brooke Matthews had a 72 and was four shots behind, while Celine
Boutier of France shot 68 and was five back at 3-under 141.
The cut was made to 50 and ties for this tournament, which features
24 top players from the American Junior Golf Association competing
in a Stableford competition.
Among those missing the weekend were Charley Hull, Brooke Henderson
and Sei Young Kim.
Also missing was tournament host Michelle Wie West, though that
wasn't a big surprise. This is her first competition in three years
as she gets ready for her final U.S. Women's Open next month. She
followed an 82 with an 80, making birdie on her last hole.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
