Jeeno Thitikul can set all kinds of data Sunday, but the most profound would be breaking Annika Sorenstam’s single-season scoring mark.
If anything speaks to the sort of yr World No. 1 Thitikul has had, it’s that. Heading into the closing spherical of the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla., with a six-shot lead, the Thailand native can finish another unbelievable season on the LPGA Tour with a second straight $4 million win at Tiburon Golf Club. And if she can shoot three-under-par 69 or higher on Sunday to end at 25 under for the week, Thitikul would surpass Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam for the lowest single-season scoring average ever.
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Sorenstam’s scoring mark of 68.697 was set in 2002, and Thitikul entered the Tour Championship with a 68.877 scoring average and has shot 67-63-64 to be at 22 under. World No. 2 Nelly Korda (65) and Pajaree Anannarukarn (65) are tied in second at 16 under.
Thitikul, 22, is wanting to wrap up the titles of participant of the yr and Vare Trophy winner for lowest scoring average. Only Sorenstam and Lydia Ko have won the prize with averages of less than 69.00.
Thitikul is enjoying free and straightforward, and making it sound straightforward, too. After beginning Saturday’s spherical with a bogey on the first gap, she then birdied 4 of the next 5. She had 9 birdies whole, including 4 consecutive on the back 9.
“Just trying to focus on myself and then trying to make birdies and birdies and birdies, because I know it’s a bunch of players who be able to make a lot of birdies,” said Thitikul, who has 24 birdies over 54 holes this week.
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She captured the match title last yr after having a 54-hole lead and could win a mixed $8 million in this occasion over the last two years. The Tour Championship boasts a file $11 million purse.
In the third spherical, Thitikul hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens with 25 putts. She’s tied for first in greens in regulation (48 of 54) and recorded her lowest 54-hole rating by two pictures at 194, which is a match file.
Thitikul will be joined in the closing pairing by Korda and fellow Thai Anannaurkara, who was the last participant into the subject at No. 60 in the rankings. After successful seven occasions last yr, Korda has one closing shot for a victory, but she’d need Thitikul to collapse., and that would be uncharacteristic.
Korda said she’ll focus on her recreation.
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“I feel like when you start to push a little harder sometimes the mistakes do start to creep in a little bit,” Korda said. “You just have to be focused on your process and yourself. If it happens, it happens. Just know that you are out there competing hard and you’re trying to win, but you also have to not get too ahead of yourself and play the game.’
Thitikul is human, of course, with a seeming sure victory at the Kroger Queen City Championship this year, she four-putted to lose the event. She also squandered an opportunity to win the Evian Championship as well, and the one glaring hole on her resume is that she has yet to win a major.
Thitikul is happy about the performance of her friend, Anannaurkarn, someone she’s known since junior golf. They’ll surely feel comfortable playing together and that might make a pressure-packed final pairing seem a little less stressful.
Of the opportunities in front of her, Thitikul said, “I think every day we face different situations and I think this is another situation that it can help me grow in my golf career. So I’m happy to be able to face it because it means a good sign.”
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