When you’ve led the LPGA Tour in scoring average two seasons in a row, you’re never out of a tournament. Jeeno Thitikul proved that Saturday at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.
Despite coming into the third round trailing by four strokes to leader Angel Yin, Thitikul started fast and never stopped. She birdied the par 5 first hole, then put up red numbers on both par 3s on the front nine, five and eight.
The back nine is really where it went from a good round, to a great one though. Thitikul had three birdies in a row from 10-12 to start her second nine. Then finished strong, with a relatively easy eagle after an incredible approach shot, and a long putt made for birdie on 18.
When asked what was going through her head on 18, trying to make birdie to finish the round, Thitikul said:
“Nothing. Just trying to make par. I have no idea how I can hole that putt in as well.”
Thitikul, predictably, was incredible in every facet of the game Saturday. She hit all 14 fairways, hit 16 greens and needed only 26 putts.
For the round, Jeeno shot -9, which now puts her in a tie for first at -15 with second round leader Angel Yin going into the final round.
Thitikul was paired in the third round with her best friend Ruoning Yin, which led to some good vibes and momentum, as Yin also played terrific, shooting -6 to get into third place, three strokes back.
“That is like really nice that our chemistry, it like really suits each other” said Thitikul. “That’s why it turns out to be really fun.”
Thitikul has a chance to complete an incredible week for the pocket book, as she was officially announced as the Aon Risk Reward Challenge winner, which carries a $1 million prize. If she wins first this week, that will add another $4 million to the total.
