Jeeno Thitikul (-13) has set everything up to secure the seventeenth victory of her career at the PIF Saudi International. The Thai player has everything ready for a final touch, just to add the finishing touch.
Thitikul crafted her victory with a spectacular round of 64 strokes this Friday at the Riyadh Golf Club. The rain stopped, the wind dropped, and rounds under par multiplied. All at once. The last winner of the grand final of the LPGA Tour made nine birdies, with a sensational display on the greens. She only needed 25 putts to complete the 18 holes, although paradoxically her only bogey came in the form of a three-putt. Her great result was forged in the 30 strokes she took on the first nine holes.
In truth, Thitikul’s victory cannot be taken for granted. She has a three-stroke lead over Somi Lee (-10) and Annabell Fuller (-10). And four strokes behind are Chiara Tamburlini (-9) and Emma Spitz (-9). With the maths in hand, it’s clear that it’s not over, but doubting someone who, at just 20 years old, already has 16 victories seems bold. Worse things have been seen in this sport, but it would be a big surprise.
Thitikul is now a full-fledged player on the LPGA Tour, but not long ago she won the Race to Costa del Sol of the Ladies European Tour. Her big goal in 2025 is none other than to win her first Major. She has already come close to doing so. She has played a total of 22, only missed four cuts, and achieved seven top 10 finishes.
What we do know, with or without maths in hand, is that there will be no Spanish victory in the best-funded tournament of the year on the LET outside of the Majors. The moving day did not go as needed. It wasn’t a disaster, far from it, but it was insufficient. However, aside from victory, there are other goals within reach, such as a valuable top 10 that would help view the season differently. That’s what Carlota Ciganda (-5), Fátima Fernández Cano (-5), Marta Sanz (-4), Luna Sobrón (-3), and Ana Peláez (-3) are aiming for, all of whom made the cut. It’s not an easy challenge to finish among the top ten, but it doesn’t seem impossible either. The bar is currently set at eight under par, which means a difference of three to five strokes.
Both Carlota and Fátima are playing really good golf. From tee to green, they’re excelling, without getting into trouble. The Galician, for example, missed just one fairway and two greens in today’s 18 holes. The key in tomorrow’s final round will be to fine-tune their game. That’s what has held back Fernández Cano. In fact, she had a short putt on the 16th to go -7, missed it, and then bogeyed the 17th with a three-putt. That’s where her round changed course.
Regardless, the five Spanish players who made the cut played under par today. The best round was by Luna Sobrón, with 69 strokes, five birdies, and two bogeys. Those who missed the cut are Marta Martín, María Hernández, and Nuria Iturrioz. Beyond our players, the most notable news of the week was the missed cut by Ruoning Yin (-1), the World Number 3. It’s the third cut she’s missed in three years. It’s said quickly. Danielle Kang also missed the cut, which is much less surprising. The American’s golf is in free fall. Last year, she missed the cut in half of the 20 tournaments she played.
As for the team classification, the quartet of South Korean Somi Lee was crowned after the second day. A birdie by the captain and another by her compatriot Minsun Kim on the 18th tipped the balance in their favour against Kyriacou’s team. In this parallel team classification, Fátima Fernández Cano was the best Spanish player. She finished third with Esther Henseleit’s team. This Saturday, only the individual competition will be played with the 61 players who made the cut.
