Three amateurs vie for Smyth Salver honors at AIG Women's British Open at Porthcawl
The award, given to the low amateur at the AIG Women's British Open, has served as a strong indicator of future success, with names like Lydia Ko, Danielle Kang, Georgia Hall, Leona Maguire, Jeeno Thitikul and most recently, Lottie Woad, receiving the honor.
Three amateurs made the cut this week at Royal Porthcawl, and two of them were paired together on Saturday, with Paula Martin Sampedro and Jeneath Wong playing alongside each other while Carla Bernat, known as Carla Bernat Escuder prior to this week, was just a few groups back.
Spain's Martin Sampedro carded five birdies in a 2-under 70 on Saturday to take a three-shot lead in the amateur race, moving to even par for the championship. A 73 from Bernat, the Augusta National Women's Amateur champion, moved her to 3 over for the week while Wong's 77 put her at 7 over for the tournament.
It's been a massive summer for Stanford's Martin Sampedro, who won both the British Women's Amateur and European Ladies' Amateur Championship in Germany. She currently ranks third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
"I try to stay consistent, especially when a mistake comes," she said after the third round, "just not trying to do too much and accept that and just walk out with a bogey, and that could be good. Just not trying to make like big numbers on this course."
Bernat noted that every part of her game has improved since she won the ANWA in April, though the scores might not show it now. She's also learned how to prepare for a major, something she knows many amateurs don't have the opportunity to do. This is Bernat's fourth major championship start of the year, courtesy of that Augusta victory.
"I mean, it sounds crazy, but for me, (this is) the beginning, I haven't started yet," said Bernat. "It's cool to win on amateur tournaments, but what I want, it's in the future."
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NBC Sports
11 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Almost forced to withdraw, Rianne Malixi among early leaders in U.S. Women's Amateur defense
A dozen players have won consecutive U.S. Women's Amateur trophies, though the last to do so, Danielle Kang, won her second of back-to-back titles 14 years ago. Rianne Malixi could add herself to that list Sunday at Bandon Dunes. Malixi, the Philippines star who won not only last year's U.S. Women's Amateur at Southern Hills but also the U.S. Girls' Junior a few weeks prior, opened her title defense of the former with a 4-under 68 Monday on Bandon's namesake layout on the Oregon coast. Malixi's first-round score was matched by fellow co-leaders, Arizona's Julia Misemer and Texas' Cindy Hsu. Malixi's defense almost was over before it started. She had been awaiting approval of her student visa – the 18-year-old will start her college career at Duke later this month – when a typhoon delayed an already lengthy process. 'Worst-case scenario, I am not going to play,' Malixi said. 'The best-case scenario is I might miss the practice rounds and head straight to the first round. Then, boom, I got a notification that my passport is ready and visa was ready.' She picked up her documents six hours before her flight last Thursday from the Philippines to Portland, Oregon. She arrived at Bandon on Saturday afternoon and was able to sneak in nine holes before getting in a full 18 on Sunday. Malixi is competing in her first amateur event since the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific in early March, when she made it through just five holes before withdrawing with what Malixi described as a back strain. Later in March, Malixi withdrew from the Augusta National Women's Amateur on the eve of the first round after her ailing back limited her to about 40-50% in the practice round. She immediately shut it down for three weeks, traveling to Australia to see her physical therapist and also visiting a chiropractor. 'I was very mis-aligned, and hitting 400 balls a day made it worse, so I had to rest,' Malixi said. She didn't compete again until the U.S. Women's Open in late May at Erin Hills, where she shot 79-78 to miss the cut. She also missed cuts in her other two starts this summer, at the JLPGA's Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open (76-72) and Amundi Evian Championship (74-72). It was fair to say that Monday's opening round by the third-ranked amateur was a pleasant surprise. 'To be honest, I haven't been feeling 100% lately,' Malixi said. 'I played a couple of majors, Evian and U.S. Women's Open, but I didn't play well. I am just happy enough to be playing 18 holes and 36 holes a couple of days ago. I haven't been shooting well, but today was eye-opening for me.' Malixi didn't record a bogey while adding short birdie makes at Nos. 3, 9 and 13, plus a 25-foot birdie conversion at No. 17. Malixi estimated she hit three drives into fairway bunkers where she had to lay up on par-4s before wedging close with her third shots to set up stress-free pars. The player whom Malixi beat in both USGA finals last year, 16-year-old Asterisk Talley, was among those at 3 under, along with Wake Forest grad and current Golf Channel on-course reporter Emilia Doran, Texas A&M incoming freshman Scarlett Schremmer, Auburn's Anna Davis and N.C. State grad Lauren Olivares, who in 2023 became the first player in NCAA women's golf history to shoot 60. Talley is fresh off a victory at the Girls Junior PGA Championship in Indiana. Malixi's fellow Duke newcomer, Avery McCrery, was part of a large group at 2 under. Princeton's Catherine Rao also carded 70, though she turned in 6 under before coming in with a birdie-less 40 on the back nine. World No. 1 amateur Kiara Romero shot 1 under, as did reigning U.S. Girls' Junior champ Aphrodite Deng.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Who is Jeeno Thitikul and how did she become the No. 1 women's golfer in the world (again)?
Jeeno Thitikul's rise to the top of the women's game didn't come after one magnificent feat, but rather many, many months of world-class consistency. Thitikul rose to No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings for a second time on Aug. 4 after finishing in a share of 30th at the AIG Women's British Open. That she toppled a player in Nelly Korda who won seven times last season says as much about Korda's lack of firepower in recent months as it does Thitikul's solid play. The 22-year-old Thitikul's seven top-5 finishes this season includes a victory at the Mizuho Americas Open, the fifth LPGA title of her career, and another win against a strong field on the LET at the 2025 PIF Saudi Ladies International in February. Here's a look back on how it all got started: Youngest player to ever win a pro event Thitikul's name first made international headlines when won the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship as a 14-year-old on the LET. At 14 years, 4 months and 19 days old, it made her the youngest to ever to win a professional title, a record that has since been broken. That feat came months after she finished 37th at the Honda LPGA Thailand event in Pattaya. The LET victory gave her berths into the Women's British Open and Evian. She missed the cut at the British by a shot but played the weekend in France, finishing in a share of 64th. More amateur acclaim for Thitikul In 2018, she won the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Singapore at age 15, which qualified her for the HSBC Women's World Championship on the LPGA, where she tied for eighth. She was low amateur at what's now the Chevron Championship and won Smyth Salver at the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, a feat she'd accomplish again the following year at Woburn. In 2019, she won the Ladies European Thailand Championship for a second time with a closing 67. She rose to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a short time before turning professional in 2020. Tough time to turn pro Thitikul turned professional in January 2020 but saw her inaugural season limited by the global pandemic. She stayed close to home and played on the Thai LPGA Tour, winning five times. The next year, she began playing full time on the LET, where she won twice and claimed both the Order of Merit title and Rookie of the Year. Later that year, she went to LPGA Q-School, where she finished third to earn her card. Thitikul begins her LPGA career with a bang It didn't take long for Thitikul to break through on the LPGA, winning the JTBC Classic in a playoff in only her fifth start as a member. She was 19 years old at the time. Later that year, she won the Walmart NW Arkansas in a playoff against Danielle Kang. By October, she'd risen to No. 1 in the world at 19 years, 8 months and 11 days old, joining Ariya Jutanugarn as the only Thai players to do so. Only Lydia Ko was younger when she first became No. 1 at 17 years, 9 months. Thitikul's reign as No. 1 only lasted two weeks, but she went on to win the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors. Thitikul's a top-10 machine It seemed like the victories would come in bunches after that rookie campaign, but she was winless in 2023 and didn't win again until June of 2024 when she teamed with good friend Ruoning Yin at the Dow Championship. Thitikul posted 16 top 10s that rookie season, 13 top 10s in 2023 and a dozen last year. The consistent play earned her the Vare Trophy in 2023. To date, Thitikul has 49 top 10s in 76 LPGA starts. Slowed down by a sore thumb The 2024 season was slowed down by a thumb injury that forced her to sit out the first quarter of the year, returning at the Chevron Championship. She'd been experiencing pain in the tendon of her left thumb upon impact, and a doctor advised her to rest six to eight weeks. The injury forced her to make a change in the way she grips the club. "I think the grip, it's the most important (part) of the swing," said Thitikul at last year's Chevron. "The feeling-wise, when you grip it, yeah, I have to change it because of the injury, to get the less pressure on my left thumb." What's in a name? Thitikul changes hers midway through season In August of last year, Atthaya Thitikul decided to go by her nickname "Jeeno" going forward because she thought it would be easier for people to remember. "I think it's unique and easier than Atthaya," she said. Thitikul said her mother originally gave her the nickname "Jeen," which roughly translates to "Chinese people" in Thai. Everyone in Thailand has a nickname, she explained, because names are traditionally long. "Jeen is, like, my mom give it to me because she is 100 percent Thai," Thitikul once explained, "but my dad is Chinese for a little bit. She's, like, oh, I give it for, like, your father is going to like it." Biggest payday in women's golf Thitikul hasn't yet won a major, but she can claim the biggest payday in women's golf history. On Sunday at the CME Group Tour Championship last year, she poured in a 25-foot putt for eagle on the 17th hole and knocked a 6-iron to 5 feet on the last to clip Angel Yin by one stroke and claim the $4 million prize. The gutsy performance came after she won $1 million earlier in the week for claiming the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. That's $5 million in one week. And yet, the thought that popped into Thitikul's mind as she stepped onto the 18th tee at Tiburon Golf Club Sunday was that it's not about the money. 'That word like pop up in my mind on 18 tee box, that we not here for prize money,' said Thitikul. 'We're here for like grow(ing) the game of golf.' Still awaiting a major break through There's no question that Thitikul remains the best player on tour without a major title. That much was clear long before she rose to No. 1 for a second time. The drumbeat to win one grows louder with each passing season, though she downplays it when asked. "I'm pretty happy with all I've achieved," she said ahead of this year's KPMG Women's PGA. "If I can get it, it would be great, but if not, I don't have anything to regret about." Thitikul has nine top 10s in 27 major starts. Her lone top 3 came last month at the Amundi Evian when she lost in a playoff to Grace Kim, who pulled off a string of spectacular shots for the ages.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Rianne Malixi shakes off visa woes, starts strong in U.S. Women's Amateur title defense
BANDON, Ore. — Rianne Malixi almost didn't get to defend her U.S. Women's Amateur title. The 18-year-old from the Philippines was set to travel to Oregon for her title defense last Tuesday, but she and her family quickly discovered a problem. An issue surrounding her student visa had come up, sending her and her family into a scramble to get it fixed. Late last week, she was still halfway across the country and questioning whether she would even be in Oregon for her Monday morning tee time. That makes her opening-round performance even more impressive. Malixi signed for a bogey-free 4-under 68 on Monday, tying the early lead in the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Women's Amateur at Bandon Dunes. She didn't get to the Pacific Coast of Oregon until late Saturday, having enough time for only a nine-hole practice round before 18 on Sunday. Add in trying to adjust her biological clock and get over any jet lag from her journey, it was a spectacular round to kick off her title defense. "The past few weeks have been really tough for me," Malixi said. "This is only my second under-par round in two months. I haven't been playing really well. I'll take this game as a really good opportunity to keep it going for the weekend." Malixi, who will begin college this fall at Duke, is tied with Julia Misemer, a rising senior at Arizona, and Cindy Hsu, a fellow rising senior at Texas, at 4 under. Malixi mentioned how recent rules surrounding visas have made them more difficult to obtain, and there was a typhoon in the Philippines last week, adding to the stress of trying to make it to the United States. Her family was in contact with the Philippean government to assist in the process, and Duke coach Dan Brooks and the school also assisted in getting the visa approved. Once Malixi had the document in hand, she was on a flight six hours later. "Worst-case scenario, I'm not going to play. Best-case scenario, I might miss the practice round," Malixi said. "Then boom, I just got a notification that, hey, passport's ready to pick up." On top of the visa issues, Malixi missed numerous championships earlier this year due to a back injury she suffered while playing on the Asian Tour. It got worse when she competed in the Asia-Pacific Women's Amateur, and it forced her to take three weeks off without swinging a club. More: U.S. Women's Amateur live updates: Scores, first-round tee times, highlights at Bandon Dunes In that period, she had to withdraw from the Augusta National Women's Amateur, the Chevron Championship and the LPGA's JM Eagle LA Championship. "It was a bummer, but it was wise for me to pull out and just take a break," she said. Malixi didn't get to defend her title at the U.S. Girls' Junior last month, one of two USGA titles she won in 2024, because she was playing in the Amundi Evian Championship the week before and couldn't travel from Europe to the United States. This week, she finally gets her shot at defending the biggest victory of her life. Malixi's face is plastered on signs across Bandon Dunes, and she'll be a familiar face on signage at USGA championships for years in the future. And even as her stellar play in the world's top amateur events continued Monday. "I'm gonna feel camera shy the next few days," Malixi said. "My coach keeps bragging about it. I can't bring myself to look at it, but I'm just really happy with what I did last year."
