Jeeno Thitikul enters the AIG Women’s Open weekend within striking distance as the nine-time LPGA winner chases the major title still missing.
Jeeno Thitikul has won almost everywhere, beaten nearly everyone and climbed to the top of women’s golf. Yet one glaring hole remains on her resume ... a major championship.
The 23-year-old gave herself another legitimate chance to erase that blank space at the 2026 AIG Women’s Open, reaching the weekend at Royal Lytham & St Annes firmly in contention after two wildly different rounds.
Thitikul stormed out of the gates Thursday with a brilliant 7-under 64, grabbing the first-round lead and making the difficult English links course look surprisingly manageable.
Friday offered a much harsher reality. She stumbled to a 2-over 73, but her opening-round cushion kept her just one shot off the lead during the afternoon wave.
That’s the encouraging part. Thitikul didn’t have her best swing, didn’t putt particularly well and still remained squarely in the championship fight.
She bogeyed the par-4 third hole, dropped two more shots on the back nine and managed only one birdie, which came at the par-3 12th. Her putting numbers told the story: 34 putts after rolling in nearly everything during her opening round.
Still, she survived.
That matters in major championship golf, where staying patient can be more valuable than chasing every flag.
Thitikul admitted frustration crept in after a three-putt on No. 14 was followed by a visit to the bunker at the 15th. Instead of allowing the mistakes to snowball, she closed with four consecutive pars.
That ability to reset could determine whether this becomes another close call or the week she finally breaks through.
Thitikul already owns nine LPGA Tour victories, including two this season at the Honda LPGA Thailand and Mizuho Americas Open.
She’s won 22 professional titles worldwide and entered Royal Lytham after consecutive top-10 finishes at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and Evian Championship.
The talent has never been questioned. The major trophy has simply refused to arrive.
Thitikul has been working with her coach in Thailand to sharpen her putting, focusing on alignment and rebuilding confidence on the greens.
Friday’s numbers weren’t pretty, but her larger body of work suggests the breakthrough is getting closer.
She knows the weekend won’t reward impatience. Royal Lytham will punish forced shots, emotional reactions and careless decisions.
Thitikul’s weekend strategy can be reduced to one word: patience. She’s waited long enough for her first major. Now she has 36 holes to go take it.
