Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul carded a blistering 10-under 61 Saturday to seize a one-stroke lead in the course of the second spherical of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Ark.
Thitikul’s day included eight birdies and an eagle. Her stretch from Nos. 7 to 9 was significantly spectacular, as she notched her eagle and two straight birdies to shut out her day on her closing three holes.
That gave her a 29 on her again 9, which she credited to a targeted thoughts.
“Just hit a shot, just tap it in, putt it in,” Thitikul mentioned. “You know, like I think when I play really good golf or shoot like really low score my mindset is like blank.”
Her first two rounds now go away Thitikul at 14-under 128 for the match.
“I mean, it’s a lot of — I pretty feel like it’s a lot of like things going to go in tomorrow, because like we have really good players out here on the LPGA Tour,” Thitikul mentioned. “I think just do my best out there and I’m trying to enjoy every moment of it. You’re not going to be in the same moment anymore so, yeah, just keep trying my best.”
Previous co-leader Yuka Saso of Japan continued her robust play for a second straight day, pocketing a 6-under 65 to remain inside a stroke of Thitikul headed into the ultimate spherical Sunday.
Like Thitikul, she suffered no bogeys whereas netting six birdies.
“Just trying to be patient and trying to play consistent, trying to have fun. That’s been my mindset this week,” Saso mentioned. “I think you have to play really good and shoot a low score to win here.”
Saso is adopted intently by Lilia Vu, who has shot back-to-back 65s to get to 12 below for the match, good for third place.
Vu’s spherical featured an eagle on 7.
“I hit a really good drive,” Vu mentioned. “It was downwind. Had 205 into the green and into the pin, and I just hit my 190 club. Landed just short and rolled up a bit to 16 feet, and then saw the line and I made the putt.”
A whopping 9 golfers are tied for fourth, 4 photographs behind the chief.
That group consists of South Korea’s Chella Choi (63), Hye-Jin Choi (65) and Jeongeun Lee5 (68) in addition to Danielle Kang (65), Jennifer Kupcho (65), China’s Muni He (66), England’s Charley Hull (66), Megan Khang (68) and Ryann O’Toole (68).
Defending champion Nasa Hataoka of Japan is tied for 51st at 5 below after scoring a 2-under 69. World No. 2 Nelly Korda is at 2 below (72).
–Field Level Media