logo
Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul keeps cool to win LPGA's Americas Open

Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul keeps cool to win LPGA's Americas Open

Straits Times12-05-2025

Low amateur Aphrodite Deng of Canada and tournament winner Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand pose with their trophies after the final round of the Mizuho Americas Open. Getty Images via AFP
NEW YORK – Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul kept her cool and patience as she collected her fifth LPGA Tour title with victory at the Americas Open at Liberty National on May 11.
The world No. 2 shot a solid three-under 69 to win by four strokes from France's Celine Boutier, who shot an even-par 72 in her final round.
Jeeno finished 17-under for the week after staying out of trouble and making birdies on the first, ninth and 17th.
The 22-year-old Thai star had finished off last season with victory in the Tour Championship in November and won on the Ladies European Tour in Saudi Arabia in February.
The win in Jersey City was her 11th professional victory on all tours, but having started her round with just a one-stroke advantage over Boutier, said she had no clue of the leaderboard situation as she approached the final hole.
'I had no idea. Maybe on the last putt because I didn't even look at the leaderboard at all, to be honest. I just asked my caddie if I need to make a par or not,' she said.
'He said, 'It's OK, I think you're safe'. I was just like, OK, so actually I can breathe now.'
Jeeno said that tricky pin positions combined with the weather had made it a battle to make par.
'Bogey-free on the final round, final group, as well, because the pin positions were so tough today, as well. We got a lot of wind, and then a lot of nerves and excitement for sure,' she said.
'I just really told myself to be patient out there. I know I was just trying to keep my ball where I have a chance to make it, but if I not make it, I'm fine because I know not every putt or not every hole that we're going to make it for sure,' added the Thai, who finished tied for 24th at last week's first Major of the year, the Chevron Championship.
'But I think my big key today is making par.'
Boutier cancelled out her three birdies with three bogeys but was pleased to be in contention as she looks forward to the next Major, the US Women's Open in Wisconsin in June.
'A very solid week overall. Definitely a little bit disappointed with my finish today, but feel pretty happy with where my game is at,' she said. 'Just need to tweak a few things before my next tournament, which is the US Open, so it's very encouraging to have a good result here at such a good tournament.'
Spain's Carlota Ciganda and Andrea Lee of the United States finished tied for third place.
Defending champion and world No. 1 Nelly Korda had started the day in contention, just two shots behind Jeeno. But while the Thai progressed, Korda had four bogeys in a one-over 73. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Son Heung-min to ‘wait and see' on Tottenham future after Saudi links
Son Heung-min to ‘wait and see' on Tottenham future after Saudi links

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Son Heung-min to ‘wait and see' on Tottenham future after Saudi links

South Korea's Son Heung-min waves to fans after the team's win against Kuwait. PHOTO: AFP Son Heung-min to 'wait and see' on Tottenham future after Saudi links SEOUL – Son Heung-min has cast doubt on his Tottenham Hotspur future after saying he will 'wait and see' what happens amid speculation the skipper could move to Saudi Arabia. The South Korean forward has a year left on his contract and has been linked with an exit after helping Spurs end their 17-year trophy drought. 'Rather than saying anything at this moment, I think we should all wait and see what happens,' the 32-year-old told reporters after South Korea's 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Kuwait on June 10. 'But no matter where I end up, I will always do the best I can. It will never change.' Son lifted the Europa League trophy in May to claim his first piece of silverware with Tottenham after helping his team beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao. Despite the victory, Spurs have since fired coach Ange Postecoglou following a dismal Premier League campaign that saw them finish one place above the relegation zone. Son came under pressure after a series of underwhelming displays but he vowed to come back stronger next season, wherever he is playing. 'I know people may say I had a disappointing year but personally, this was a special season because you play football to win, and only winners are remembered,' added Son, who joined Tottenham from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. 'I wasn't in my best form for most of the season but hopefully I will be in better condition going into the new season.' Meanwhile, Brentford manager Thomas Frank is set to replace Postecoglou, according to multiple reports. Frank, who has been in charge of the Bees since 2018, led Brentford back to the top flight in 2021 after an absence of 74 years and has established the west London club in the Premier League. Hiring the Dane, whose contract runs until 2027, would cost Spurs around £10 million in compensation. South Korea booked their place at next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico with 2-0 win over Iraq last week. They finished top of Group B in the Asian third round of qualifiers and were unbeaten in 10 games. 'I know people just assume that we should come out of Asia with ease but nothing has been easy,' said Son, who came on as a 75th-minute substitute against Kuwait. 'I think we were able to finish well here because everyone came together with the same goal of never losing a match.' Off the pitch, two South Koreans have been charged with blackmail or attempted blackmail targeting Son, the prosecution said on June 11, with one of them reportedly his ex-girlfriend. The suspects – a woman in her 20s surnamed Yang and a man in his 40s surnamed Yong – have been in custody since May. The two have now been 'formally charged and will stand trial while in custody', a spokesperson for the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office told AFP. According to the Yonhap news agency and other local media, Yang is Son's ex-girlfriend and allegedly extorted 300 million won from him by sending a foetal ultrasound image and threatening to go public with claims that she was pregnant with his child last year. It remains unclear whether Yang – who local media have speculated terminated the alleged pregnancy – was actually carrying the star footballer's child. Prosecutors believe Yang later attempted to extort an additional 70 million won from Son this year in collaboration with Yong, with whom she was in a romantic relationship, according to Yonhap. The pair allegedly made the threats by saying they would expose the alleged pregnancy and abortion to the media. Son refused to pay the 70 million won and filed a criminal complaint against the two. AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Scottie Scheffler sees golf Majors like tennis Grand Slams as US Open looms
Scottie Scheffler sees golf Majors like tennis Grand Slams as US Open looms

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Scottie Scheffler sees golf Majors like tennis Grand Slams as US Open looms

World no. 1 Scottie Scheffler hits out of a bunker on the second hole during a practice round for the US Open. PHOTO: REUTERS OAKMONT – Scottie Scheffler sees golf's Major tournaments like Grand Slam tennis championships, with finesse events like the Masters and strength tests like this week's US Open at Oakmont. The world No. 1, who was the 2022 and 2024 Masters champion, comes off a victory at last month's PGA Championship and sees new challenges at Oakmont the same way the red clay at Roland Garros offers a different tennis test than a hardcourt US Open. 'I kind of equate some of the Major tests to the Majors in tennis,' Scheffler said on June 10. 'You're playing on a different surface. You've got grass, clay and then the hardcourt and it's a different style of game.' Augusta National offers undulating greens but almost no rough to encourage shotmaking, while Oakmont brings a US Open with deep rough, tricky bunkers and fast sloped greens. 'The US Open compared to the Masters is a completely different type of test,' Scheffler added. 'At the Masters you have a lot more shotmaking when you get around the greens because it's a lot of fairway, there's pine straw, there's not really the rough factor. 'Then when you get here, it's a lot of hacking out of the rough. You still have to be extremely precise but when you talk about strength and power, that becomes more of a factor at these tournaments because when you hit it in the rough you've got to muscle it out of there.' There is no picking one as better or worse than another, just as with the tennis Slams. It is a matter of style. 'It's just a different type of test than you see at the Masters. Both of them are fantastic tests. I don't know if one of them is better than the other, but they're just different,' Scheffler said. 'Here, the winning score I don't think is going to be what the winning score was at the Masters.' Rory McIlroy won the 2025 Masters on 11-under 277 after a play-off with Justin Rose. Expectations are for this week's US Open winner to be lucky to break par for 72 holes. 'When you miss the green at the Masters, the ball runs away and it goes into these areas, and you can play a bump, you can play a flop. There's different options,' Scheffler said. 'Here when you hit the ball over the green, you just get in some heavy rough, and it's like, let me see how I can pop the ball out of this rough and somehow give myself a look.' That strength factor is something he hopes to take advantage of this week as he did by using his shotmaking skills at the Masters. 'I'd say there's definitely a strength factor coming out of the rough,' the American said of Oakmont. 'There's so many bunkers, I don't really know if this is a golf course you can necessarily just overpower with kind of a bomb and gouge type strategy, especially with the way the rough is. 'You have to play the angles. Some of the greens are elevated, other ones are pitched extremely away from you.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Uruguay near World Cup qualification with 2-0 win over Venezuela
Uruguay near World Cup qualification with 2-0 win over Venezuela

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Uruguay near World Cup qualification with 2-0 win over Venezuela

MONTEVIDEO - Uruguay took a step closer to securing a 2026 World Cup spot with a 2-0 home victory over Venezuela at the Estadio Centenario on Tuesday, a victory which also snapped a four-match winless run in South American qualifiers. Uruguay dominated much of the first half but struggled to break down a well-organised Venezuelan defence until Rodrigo Aguirre put the hosts ahead in the 42nd minute, heading in at the far post from a Maxi Araujo corner. Giorgian De Arrascaeta doubled Uruguay's lead just two minutes into the second half, firing a superb shot into the top-left corner to seal a win that secures Marcelo Bielsa's side of at least an inter-confederation playoff berth. In other qualifiers, Colombia led already-qualified Argentina 1-0 at halftime thanks to a Luis Díaz goal, while second-placed Ecuador can secure a World Cup spot if they avoid defeat in Peru. In Sao Paulo, Paraguay will qualify with a win or a draw against Brazil, while the hosts can book their place in the tournament with a victory. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store