Jeeno Thitikul’s 63 ties Angel Yin for LPGA Tour Championship lead entering final round
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China's Yin Ruoning (left) and Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul reacting on the 17th green during the third round of the LPGA Tour Championship on Nov 23.
PHOTO: AFP
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MIAMI – The low round of the week at the LPGA Tour Championship belongs to Jeeno Thitikul, who fired a nine-under 63 in third-round action on Nov 23 to forge a tie with Angel Yin atop the leaderboard in Naples, Florida.
The Thai golfer’s sizzling round included seven birdies and an eagle on No. 17, putting her into a tie for the lead. Her seventh birdie of the day came at the last, briefly giving her the solo lead at 15-under 201.
“Tomorrow it just depends on the – I just still believe that if like it’s your turn, and then it’s your turn,” Jeeno said.
“Whatever is going to happen tomorrow, I take it as a learning experience. It’s not about life or death.”
Sixty players are competing at the LPGA’s season finale at Tiburon Golf Club with a US$4 million (S$5.4 million) first prize at stake.
Yin came into the day boasting a two-stroke lead over the field, which helped her withstand Jeeno’s charge. An eagle on the sixth hole sparked three more birdies over six holes.
She calmly knocked in her fifth birdie of the day on the 17th to put herself at five under on the day and 15 under overall, then a par on the final hole assured her a share of the lead going into the final round on Nov 24. The results were not available at press time.
“I just knew I had to keep grinding it out and I needed to trust what I’m good at, and that was it,” Yin said. “Got a little rough, but it was good...
“I mean, the course, honestly I think is playing pretty tough, so happy with my score. I’m scoring still. Making some mistakes, but saving a bunch, so a lot of positives.”
The Los Angeles native has won just once on the LPGA Tour.
China’s Yin Ruoning is alone in third place at 12 under after carding a 66. Her day included six birdies and no bogeys.
She said: “If I can finish solid tomorrow, that just give me a lot of confidence going to the off-season and prepare for my next season.”
South Korea native An Na-rin (69), who had started the day two strokes off the leader, is tied for fourth at 11 under, with England’s Charley Hull (66).
Just two other golfers are within five strokes of the lead. American Lucy Li and Russia’s Nataliya Guseva both shot 67s and sit in a tie for sixth place.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda (69) headlines a group tied for eighth at nine under. The others are France’s Celine Boutier (67), Japan’s Ayaka Furue (69), and South Korea’s Choi Hye-jin (71), who had been two behind the lead coming into the day. REUTERS
