Jeeno Thitikul won the Smyth Salver at the AIG Women’s Open the last time it was played at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2018.
The world number two was the only amateur to make the cut that week and went home with some silverware from the testing Links golf course.
Thitikul knows this week will be a test of her game and especially dealing with the 166 pot bunkers dotted around the golf course.
“I always look forward to coming back here. I played here in 2018, my second time in the AIG Women’s Open as an amateur and I’m looking forward to beating my amateur score here,” she said.
“It will really depend on the wind. This year the wind plays a little easier than last year because last year we were right by the beach, here we’re more in town and the wind isn’t blowing as last year. We can’t expect the ball to stop, but the low shots are definitely in play and then some of the bunkers.
“We enjoy how can we escape the bunkers, especially here because every hole that we play on the par-4 or par-5s, we really have to escape it. I don’t know how they can have that many bunkers that we play every hole. I enjoy the challenge of how to handle that mentally and physically. It’s fun to have it only once a year.”
Thitikul, who won the 2021 LET Order of Merit title, is still in search of her maiden Major championship.
However, since her 10th place finish at the 2026 Amundi Evian Championship, the five-time LET winner has been in Thailand resetting after a busy run of events.
“The last two events I feel like I find my game better than in kind of middle of the season, so it definitely feels better. I spent my two weeks off in Thailand recharging my energy. I saw my parents after a long stretch of golf which made it special too,” she continued.
“The schedule this year feels like back-to-back Majors every week, if you’re in a good run you might have a good chance in every week that you play. I know it’s a lot of adapting playing on some courses like Evian which is so uphill and downhill.
“Playing here is windy with pot bunkers. I feel like if you’re in a good run then you might have a really good result in a major. As you can see, Nelly [Korda] and Haeran [Ryu] had a really good stretch.
“To be able to have last two weeks off in Thailand settling my mindset down, having relaxing moments, and not really thinking about just golf. Having a good time with family and friends.”
Thitikul will tee it up in the first round of the 2026 AIG Women’s Open at 1.15pm (local time) alongside defending champion Miyu Yamashita and American Lauren Coughlin.
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