Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand quickly overcame a late double bogey on a windy Sunday afternoon at Hoakalei Country Club in the LOTTE Championship for her fourth LPGA Tour victory of the season and 11th overall.
After driving into the water and losing a two-shot lead on the par-4 16th, Thitikul made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th for another two-shot swing. She closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th for a three-stroke victory over playing partner Ina Yoon.
“I don’t know how I did that, but obviously, it’s kind of really like good battle with Ina,” Thitikul said. “She played incredible on the front nine.”
The second-ranked Thitikul matched top-ranked Nelly Korda for the tour victory lead, finishing with a 4-under 68 for a 21-under 267 total.
“I know 16 was terrible. It was just like, `Gosh, terrible hole to me,’” Thitikul said. “But I just tell myself that, `Hey, it’s two hole left. Everything can happen. You can definitely bounce back whenever you still have the shot in your hand.’”
Yoon also shot 68. The South Korean player drove into the water on 17 and made bogey, then parred the last. She’s winless on the LPGA Tour, with six top top-10 finishes this year.
“It was super fun today,” Yoon said. “Jeeno played great.”
Miyu Yamashita of Japan was third at 17 under after a 67.
American Auston Kim had a 67 to finish at 16 under. She had three straight bogeys in a wild back nine.
Thitikul moved within a victory of tying Ariya Jutanugarn as the winningest LPGA Tour player from Thailand.
The tour is headed to Asia for four tournaments, starting with the Buick LPGA Shanghai on Oct. 15-18.
