Jeeno Thitikul Fires 66 to Seize Two-Stroke Advantage at LPGA Thailand

World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul carded a 6-under 66 to reach 20-under par, moving two strokes clear of Hyo Joo Kim at the Siam Country Club Old Course.

Jeeno Thitikul carded a 6-under-par 66 on Saturday to reach a 54-hole total of 196, establishing a two-stroke lead at the LPGA Thailand. The World No. 1 entered the day three shots behind the overnight leader but surged to 20-under par overall at the Siam Country Club Old Course. Thitikul’s round was highlighted by a closing stretch of three consecutive birdies on holes 16, 17, and 18. On the par-3 16th, she converted a 15-foot putt to break a four-way deadlock at the top of the leaderboard. Her final birdie on the par-5 18th came via a tap-in after her eagle chip narrowly missed the cup, securing her position as the solo frontrunner heading into Sunday.

Hyo Joo Kim occupies second place alone at 18-under par following a third-round 65. Kim’s 7-under performance included eight birdies and a single bogey, positioning her as the primary challenger to Thitikul. A trio of players sits three strokes back at 17-under par, including Allisen Corpuz, who shot a 67, and Chisato Iwai, who posted a 68. Somi Lee, the leader after 36 holes, joined them in a tie for third after struggling to an even-par 72. Lee’s round was marred by three bogeys within a four-hole span on the front nine, erasing the cushion she had built during the first two days of competition in Chonburi.

Lydia Ko remains in contention in sixth place at 16-under par after signing for a 3-under 69. The gap between the leader and the rest of the field widened significantly beyond the top six, with Canadian Brooke Henderson sitting at 7-under par following a 70. Defending champion Angel Yin finds herself at 3-under par for the tournament after a third-round 69, leaving her 17 strokes adrift of Thitikul’s pace. The scoring conditions remained favorable at the 6,548-yard layout, located roughly 125 kilometers east of Bangkok, as the elite field prepared for the conclusion of the first leg of the LPGA’s spring Asian swing.

Thitikul’s ascent began immediately on the par-5 first hole, where she capitalized on a birdie opportunity while Lee settled for par after a three-putt. By the sixth hole, the Thai star had erased the remaining deficit to pull level at the top. She took her first outright lead on the eighth hole when Lee recorded another dropped shot. Although the pair briefly shared the lead again at 18-under following matching birdies on the par-3 12th, Thitikul’s late-round execution proved the difference. The 21-year-old, who celebrated her birthday on Friday, hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during her third circuit of the Old Course.

Statistical analysis of the third round reveals that Thitikul has now recorded 22 birdies against just two bogeys over 54 holes. Her driving accuracy has been a cornerstone of her success, finding 32 of 42 fairways across the first three days. In contrast, Somi Lee’s momentum stalled on the greens Saturday, as she required 32 putts compared to the 27 she averaged during her opening rounds of 67 and 64. The scoring average for the field on Saturday hovered at 69.8, illustrating the necessity of sub-70 rounds to remain relevant in the hunt for the title.

Kim expressed a desire to play with increased aggression during the final 18 holes, noting that chasing from two shots back allows for a more offensive strategy. The South Korean star has historically performed well in the region, and her 65 was the second-lowest score of the day, bested only by a 64 from Patty Tavatanakit, who moved into a tie for 11th at 13-under par. Tavatanakit’s bogey-free round included an eagle on the par-5 seventh and six birdies, demonstrating the low scores available for those who avoid the thick bermudagrass rough surrounding the undulating greens.

Allisen Corpuz remained steady with a bogey-free 67, marking her third consecutive round in the 60s. The reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion utilized a precise iron display, hitting 16 greens in regulation to keep pressure on the leaders. Chisato Iwai also maintained her consistency, carding five birdies against a lone bogey on the par-4 14th. These players will need to navigate the challenging par-4 15th and the treacherous par-3 16th, which have played as the two most difficult holes on the back nine throughout the week, yielding a combined scoring average of 0.24 strokes over par.

The tournament serves as a critical points-earning event for the Race to the CME Globe, with a total purse of $1.7 million on the line. Thitikul is seeking her first victory of the current season and her eighth career LPGA Tour title. Her previous best finish at this event was a runner-up result in 2021, when she lost by a single stroke. The local favorite has drawn massive galleries at Siam Country Club, with attendance figures estimated to exceed 15,000 spectators during the penultimate round. Weather forecasts for Sunday predict temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) with humidity levels near 70 percent, adding a physical endurance element to the technical challenge.

As the final group prepares to tee off on Sunday, the focus remains on whether Thitikul can maintain her composure under the weight of home-country expectations. Her 20-under-par total is just two strokes shy of the 72-hole tournament record, suggesting a historic finish is within reach if the calm winds persist. With 18 holes remaining, the battle for the trophy appears to be a duel between the clinical putting of Thitikul and the aggressive ball-striking of Kim, while the chasing pack of Lee, Corpuz, and Iwai waits for any sign of a stumble at the summit of the leaderboard.