Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand rang up eight birdies with no bogeys on Thursday to set the first-round pace at the Mizuho Americas Open in Jersey City, N.J.
Thitikul, ranked No. 2 in the world, won the CME Group Tour Championship last fall but has not won on the LPGA Tour yet in 2025.
She’s in good position at Liberty National Golf Club, where she has a two-shot advantage over Celine Boutier of France and Hye-Jin Choi of South Korea.
Thitikul got around the course in just 26 putts on Thursday.
“I definitely kind of stress about my putting on week off,” she said. “I found out I have been doing good. I have — you know, like I had a good stroke but just didn’t drop in, so I just trying to make like hand-eye coordination is right and the speed to matching the line.”
Thitikul, who birdied Nos. 17 and 18 to break away from the pack, was asked what she enjoyed about Liberty National.
“Food,” she quipped. “Ferry, food. Just fancy New York. You know, really good views here. Good condition course as well. I think you can play here as a major for sure … the course condition-wise is nice, so smooth.”
Boutier made a second-half charge after starting her round on the back nine and shooting 1 over through eight holes.
Her birdie at the par-4 18th was the first of a five-birdie run to shoot her into red figures. She added birdies at Nos. 6 and 7.
“I think my game hasn’t been too far off,” the World No. 16 player and former major champion said. “I had trouble scoring here and there, just really a few strokes, putting get in or out, but I don’t think my game has been too different from the beginning to this week.”
Choi went bogey-free, while a whopping 10 players tied for fourth at 5-under 67. Among them were South Korea’s Haeran Ryu — who won last week’s Black Desert Championship after falling short in a playoff at the Chevron Championship major the week prior — and Lindy Duncan, who also competed in that playoff and lost to Mao Saigo of Japan.
Nelly Korda recovered from a first-hole bogey to card a 4-under 68 as she tries to build off her showing at the Chevron, where she rallied from a tough opening-round 77 to make the cut.
“I think when you see the putts drop and you see your game coming back, iron play coming back, I think it just kind of all leads to a little bit of momentum, a little bit more positivity around the golf game,” the World No. 1 said.
Rose Zhang — who won her first start as a professional at this tournament in 2023 — shot a 1-over 73.
–Field Level Media
