Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Jeeno Thitikul delivered clutch putts under pressure on Sunday, including a birdie at the 17th, to beat fellow Thais Chanettee Wannasaen and Arpichaya Yubol by one stroke at the LPGA Portland Classic. Second-ranked Jeeno had an eagle and eight birdies in her eight-under par 64 at Edgewater Country Club, where she seized the lead for good when she curled in a birdie at the penultimate hole on the way to a 22-under par total of 266. Her third title of the year, after victories in the Honda LPGA Thailand and the Mizuho America’s Open, took her tally of LPGA trophies to 10.
“Every win, it means a lot,” she said. “The sacrifice that we put in, the work that we put in. (I’ve) had a time that I have doubt, like what is going on in my game?” And then when you get it on, you’re just like ‘Wow, this is what you’re waiting for.’
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Chanettee, chasing a third LPGA crown, kept the pressure on, piling up nine birdies without a bogey in her nine-under 63. She had tied for the lead with a birdie of her own at 17, but settled for a par at 18 and finished with a 21-under total of 267.
Jeeno had started the day two strokes behind co-leaders Sophia Schubert and Arpichaya — each gunning for a first LPGA title. She charged up the leaderboard with six birdies in the first seven holes, including five in a row from the third through the seventh. She bounced back from a bogey at the ninth with an eagle at the par-five 10th, where she rolled in a 25-foot putt that gave her a one-shot lead.
She remained one in front after a bogey at the par-five 12th and had the lead after a birdie at 14, but she needed every stroke coming in as Chanettee came up with five back-nine birdies. Jeeno made a crucial par-saving putt a 16 and after her birdie at 17, two-putted from off the green at 18 to seal the win.
Arpichaya had kept herself in the hunt with four birdies in the first seven holes and after a bogey at the 12th, closed with back-to-back birdies to seize her share of second.
© 2024 AFP
