LPGA: Kroger Open finds Jeeno Thitikul as the leader after 36 holes in Cincy

By Roy J. Akers- www.skyviewsports.net

Cincinnati, Ohio– They say winning never gets old. Nelly Korda has won six times on the LPGA Tour in 2024 and she is looking for more this week in Cincy. The same goes for Lydia Ko. Ko has won twice this season and is the 2024 Olympic Champion. She is looking for more and with retirement looming at age 30, she wants to grab as much as she can. Ko shot a five under par 67 on Thursday and knew she left a lot of shots on the golf course. (So) I just wanted to kind of make sure that I was giving myself lots of looks for birdies again today. I think you see some low scores so you feel like you need to make a bunch of birdies. I know that if I just keep giving myself chances, then one point it’s going to fall. ”

Jeeno Thitikul– Your day 2 leader

Thitikul is the leader after day two of the Queen City Championship. She was moving up the leaderboard. In 2024, she was the co-winner of the Dow Championship and has made 9 of 11 cuts this year. A rookie in 2022, she has won three times in her career and has already made over 5M. On Friday, she made seven birdies and a bogey, carding a six under par 66. She is part of the deepest field at the River Bend TPC course near Cincinnati.

Ko’s Eagle on 8

Ko’s best shot was her approach shot on hole No. 8 where she chipped in for an eagle after missing the green and watching her playing partners looking for their own eagles. “Yeah, I kind of felt left out because Charley hit it to like 15 feet for eagle; Rose hit it to like two feet; and I had missed the green. So I was like, man, I want to at least make up and down for a birdie. I hit it exactly the way that I was envisioning. As soon as it came off the club face and landed Charley said, good shot, and like five seconds later it went in the hole.”

Maria Fassi is T-3

Maria Fassi is a grinder on the LPGA Tour. She is not a superstar in stats, but is among the leaders in grinding each week. Shooting 68-67 including two bogeys to start Friday’s round, Fassi got it going with a five under 31 on the back nine.

You go birdie, birdie, make the turn, make another
birdie and blitz it on your back, which is the front.
What mentally shifted or how do you turn up the heat coming in late here?
MARIA FASSI: Yeah, I mean, I had a bad start, bogey, bogey. First hole I was like 15 feet from the pin and three putted. And then had a bad swing on 11, whatever. Ended up making bogey, bogey to start the day. My caddie just kind of grabbed me and he’s like, hey, we made two bogeys yesterday. Like we’re done for the day with bogeys. Let’s restart, refresh. Let’s go back to hitting good, quality golf shots.

Haeran Ryu

This 2024 rookie has been a force on the LPGA Tour, making the cut in 17 of 19 entered events since turning pro one year ago. She has made nearly 3.8 million dollars and 1.7M has come this summer alone. Her first win was at the FM Championships less than a month ago. Fellow LPGA players know she is a force to beat if they are to keep winning on this Tour. Read her question below. She is a birdie barrage waiting to happen.

Talk about the stretch you had from No. 5 to No. 9. Birdies all the way through. What was working so well for you during that stretch?
HAERAN RYU: I think those holes birdie putts, everything is just very short. So today my iron shots really good that five holes. Yeah, that’s a good five birdies.