MAINEVILLE, Ohio — Lydia Ko set an early target and Jeeno Thitikul surpassed her Friday afternoon with three birdies on her final four holes for another 6-under 66 and a one-shot lead over Ko in the Kroger Queen City Championship.
Ko played bogey-free with an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole for a 66. Thitikul played the afternoon, birdied all of TPC River’s Bend’s par-5s and finished strong.
Thitikul hit her pitching wedge over the water and avoided going too far, setting up a final birdie that put her at 12-under 132 heading into the weekend.
Haeran Ryu, who won the FM Championship three weeks ago for her first LPGA title, matched the best round of the day with a 65 to fall two shots behind.
Anna Nordqvist, one of 11 players who competed in the Solheim Cup last week, had one of those poor results. Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, also competed in the Solheim Cup, shooting a 70 and five shots behind.
Rose Zhang, who went 4-0 last week, was the only Solheim Cup player not to make the cut. She double bogeyed late in the round and never recovered, shooting a 71 and missing the weekend by one shot.
Thitikul will soon celebrate the second anniversary of her last individual victory. She teamed up with Ruoning Yin to win the Dow Championship this year and has given herself many other chances.
“I’m looking forward to playing some good golf and having fun,” Thitikul said. “I think I’m feeling a lot of good vibes, starting with the Olympics. … I just want to play my game. I just want to control my side, not anybody else’s side.”
Ko has been riding high from a summer she won’t soon forget. She won Olympic gold, a victory that earned her a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. And then she won the Women’s British Open for the second time, this time at St. Andrews.
Ko is returning from a three-week break and has shown no signs of letting up.
The key to her round was her eagle on the 8th hole, and Ko seemed the least likely to make it. Zhang hit her second shot from close range. Charley Hull had 15 feet for eagle. Ko had come off the green hoping to get up and get back down for birdie. Instead, she made it.
“I felt a little left out because Charley hit the ball about 15 feet for eagle; Rose hit it about 2 feet; and I missed the green,” Ko said. “I hit the ball exactly how I thought I would. As soon as the ball hit the clubface and landed, Charley said, ‘Good shot.’ And five seconds later, it went in the hole. I feel like those are added bonuses.”
Gaby Lopez and Maria Fassi, who represented Mexico at the Olympics, each shot 67 and were among those at 9 under 135. Nordqvist was in the group one shot behind.
