World No. 2 Jeno Thaitikul is half home for its first major victory, as she will take a three-shot lead over the weekend at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Fisco, Texas.
Thailand’s 22-year-old star followed 68 of the first round with 2-under-Burbar 70 on Friday to reach 6-under 138 in Fields Winch East Course in PGA Fisco.
There is a comfortable lead over Australia’s Minaji Li, who shot at 72, and Rio Tekida of Japan, who birds for their last hole (number 9) and four of its last six for 71.
Lexi Thompson also posted 70 in the second round and finished fourth in 2 under.
This course was played even more harder than the first day, and only one player managed to break the 70. England’s Charlie Hull posted 3-under 69 to transfer to 3 overs and ensured that she would cut after setting back a opening-round 78.
Thaitikul entered the day with a shot lead and most of his rounds also hopped. After the beginning of nine behind, he had two shovedies and two bogies through 16 holes before the Burdy-Burdi was over. Thaitikul made Par-3-2-2-2-foot put before Par-5 at a distance of 59 feet before two-east.
Thaitikul won five wins for his credit on LPGA tour and placed seven in the top 10 of Major. Now he will get to play further and will defend his edge in high pressure.
“I think it depends on the wind,” Thaitikul said about the arrival of the weekend. “If you can commit with the air you can and then really do well and do it well like a T-to-Green, really well and then make it equal, then I think it’s quite good.”
Thompson had almost a bogie-free round in the bag before stumbling at number 18 when his approach found a bunker.
30 -year -old Thompson stopped commenting full -time after 2024, but is making her seventh start of 2025 and is in great form, tied for the fourth time in Major LPGA Classic last week.
“When I am at home, I am grinding and practicing and still working on my game,” Thompson said. “At any time I tend it up-even I am saying that I was getting away from a full-time program, at any time I lift it up that I want to come out from here and compete and win and win.”
Later this week, a win gave Thompson his second career major title, which was first 11 years later.
Apart from Thompson, the Red Figure is the only American Auston Kim, who shot 72 on Friday and ranks fifth with South Korea’s Somi Lee (73) and Japan’s Chistat Ivi (72).
If she wins on Sunday, Kim would be a very upset story. She is ranked 98th in the world, never won on a tour and has never been better than the 30th place in one major.
“My mentality was just living in it today,” Kim said about her two-birds, two-ties rounds. “I really didn’t feel that I had killed any supernatural shots. I did not want to exclude it in some way today, like today (Thursday). I think it’s just a will I was playing how smart I was playing.”
World No. 1 Neli was ranked 16th, to slide more than 2 for the tournament in Corda 2-Over 74.
The estimated cut line was more than 7, which means that Rose Zhang (79 Friday) will scream at number. Notable names to remember the cut were Alison Corpuz (8 overs), A Lim Kim (8 overs) of South Korea, South Korea’s champion Amy Yang (9 overs) and two -time leading winner Lilia Wu (9 overs).
The former world number 1 of South Korea was withdrawn due to the disease. She was on track to remember the cut after an inauguration-round 74.
-Bield level media
