Jeeno Thitikul, last year’s runner-up, surged into a shared lead on Saturday after shooting an impressive eight-under-par 64 in the LPGA Maybank Championship in Malaysia. Thitikul, at 21 years old, reached 16-under at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, joining China's Yin Ruoning and South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran atop the leaderboard as they head into the final round. This performance places them two strokes ahead of Sweden's Maja Stark, who had led after the previous round.
Thitikul’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-five third hole, which she followed with consecutive birdies and capped with three more birdies across her final three holes, maintaining a flawless, bogey-free card.
Reflecting on her performance, Thitikul shared that her strategy was to “make birdies, birdies, birdies,” as she aimed to leverage the course’s scoring opportunities in her quest for a fourth LPGA title. This marks a determined effort for the Thai golfer, who lost in a nine-hole playoff in last year’s championship to Celine Boutier.
Meanwhile, Yin Ruoning kept herself in strong contention for a fifth LPGA win with a bogey-free 66, sinking six birdies and displaying excellent putting. Yin expressed satisfaction with her putting, noting it gave her confidence for the final round.
Ryu Hae-ran, who has shown consistency throughout the tournament, posted a bogey-free 67 with five birdies, including four on the front nine, placing her firmly in the hunt for the title. Ryu aims to capitalize on birdie opportunities in the back nine of the final round. Defending champion Celine Boutier remains within reach, sitting tied for fifth place, four shots behind the leaders.
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