Jeeno Thitikul surged to a three-shot lead at the Mizuho Americas Open Friday, taking advantage of a timely weather shift to post a second-round 8-under 136 at Mountain Ridge.
The Thai star closed with four birdies over her final seven holes as conditions softened after a brief rain shower calmed the challenging course in West Caldwell, New Jersey.
“Luckily we don’t have much wind on the back nine after the rain came, and then the wind just like shut down,” Thitikul said. “If we got the breeze like the front nine, I don’t think my number is going to be that low, for sure.”
Jennifer Kupcho sits in second place at 5-under 139 after grinding out a 69 in the more difficult morning conditions. She punctuated her round with a clutch 15-foot par save on the brutal 18th hole, which played more than a stroke over par for the early wave.
The morning players faced firm greens, thick rough, and strategically placed pins that tested even the world’s best. Kupcho actually questioned whether some hole locations would remain playable as conditions deteriorated.
“Like 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, all of those pin placements were on the sides of a hill,” Kupcho said. “For the wind and the speed we’re playing the greens, I don’t know that they’re going to be playable this afternoon, to be quite honest.”
First-round leader Andrea Lee struggled mightily, recording five bogeys in a six-hole stretch on her front nine. She didn’t make a birdie until the 16th hole and plummeted down the leaderboard with a 79.
Lydia Ko, who posted a 75, didn’t seem particularly bothered by her score given the challenging setup.
“Probably one of the rare occasions where you shoot 75 and you’re not like stressing out too much about it,” Ko said. “The greens are pretty undulating and you leave yourself in some positions above the hole and you don’t even know if you can hold it on the green at that point.”
Brooke Matthews sits in third place at 4-under after a solid 72, while France’s Celine Boutier fired a 68 to reach 3-under, five shots off the lead.
Thitikul now has a golden opportunity to claim her first victory of 2024. She’s looking to reclaim some momentum after losing the world No. 1 ranking to Nelly Korda, who isn’t in this week’s field.
Notable Cuts
The cut fell at 50 players and ties, with several big names missing the weekend including Charley Hull, Brooke Henderson and Sei Young Kim.
Tournament host Michelle Wie West also missed the cut, though that wasn’t unexpected in her first competitive start in three years. Wie West, who shot 82-80, is using this event as preparation for her final U.S. Women’s Open next month.
The Mizuho Americas Open features a unique format with 24 top junior golfers from the American Junior Golf Association competing alongside the LPGA pros in a separate Stableford competition.
