Jersey City, N.J. –Jeeno Thitikul gave Celine Boutier a one-shot lead in the final round of Mizuho Americas Open by making nine birdies for a 9-under 65 on Saturday.
Defending champion Nelly Korda missed a birdie opportunity on the back nine at Liberty National, setting himself at 68, leaving the first women’s golfer with two shots left for her first victory of the year.
The LPGA Tour raised some tees to explain the wind strong enough to bending the flagstick, especially in the closing stretch. It led to some big finishes as the players positioned themselves towards the final round.
Thitikul, the second female golfer, was among those who used it. She birded a reachable par 4 16th place with water on the right side, picking up another birdie on the 17th and finished at 202 under.
“Today’s strategy, I’m just trying to keep it fairway and green,” Thitikul said. “I know it’s going to be a really tough day, so I have to be patient there. So I don’t know how I did it, but take it.”
A 40-foot birdie putt on the ridge on the 15th was a bonus for the start of three straight birdies. She made a par on the 18th, leaving one shot of her at 66.
“It was a great setup today,” Boutier said. “It feels like you’re challenging the wind, but the setup gave you some chance if you’re taking a good hit.”
Korda tried to keep pace with Chitickle, rolling into a 15-foot birdie putt just outside the greenery of the par 3 14th, running along the Hudson River across from the Manhattan skyline. However, her drive on the 16th left her with a bad angle against the tip, and she had to settle for Pa.
A wind blows on her back, she judged her wedge completely to 4 feet for birdies on the 17th, and the 15 feet birdie putt on the 18th just stayed on the high side of the hole.
“You just need to dial in on a small target and be 100% focused on each shot,” Korda said of the harsh conditions, the rain on Friday and the winds on a sunny Saturday. “I knew you were going to make mistakes. It was a pretty solid day.”
Andrea Lee had her third straight 68 and joined Korda with a 12 under 204. Yealimi Noh was tipped for the Eagle on the 16th and shot a 67. She was three shots behind.
Thitikul, which opened at 64, continued at 73, then recharged from the gate in the strongest winds. She had four birdies on the front nine until she hit a hazard in the par-4 six and made a double bogey.
it doesn’t matter. She responded with two birdies to erase that mistake, had three birdies on four holes to start the back nine, and stayed in front of the puck with two slow birdies.
The start time is much earlier than Sunday when Mizuho Americas was held to join Network Television (CBS) at 3pm local time. I don’t think the wind is that strong, but Boutier said it might present a different challenge.
“It should be a little less windy, and I think it’ll also be a little less score,” Boutier said. “We see what happens, but we’re happy to be in this position.”
