Through two days of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, there have been a few consistent traits present: uncomfortable wind gusts, the scorching hot Texas sun, and Jeeno Thitikul's name atop the leaderboard.
Thitikul followed up her opening 4-under 68 round on Thursday with a 2-under 70 in Round 2, extending the 5-time LPGA Tour winner's lead to three shots clear of the field as the long shadows stretched out over the open Frisco landscape on Friday evening.
Jeeno Thitikul heads into the clubhouse 6-under after carding a 70 in Round 2. 😎#KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/iGj4XXXxbw
— KPMG Women's PGA Championship (@KPMGWomensPGA) June 21, 2025
“I feel really good. You know, to be honest, I didn't think it's going to be that good result out there. To be honest, even you know especially today just said to my coach, like if anybody can shoot like under par today, that person or that player will be really, really great,” Thitikul said after her Friday round.
The Thai native felt the course wasn’t giving much to the field on Friday, and as a result seemed grateful with where she ended up.
“I'm shooting 2-under par and I was like, ‘wow’ because I think even 1-over, 2-over, I'll take it today,” Thitikul said. “As you see the pin position-wise and the wind was so strong.”
Thitikul has been seemingly automatic with her putter this week, leading the field in putting. Even though the rising star didn’t match her 199.5 feet of putts on Friday like she did on Thursday, Thitikul still delivered four birdies on Friday and finished strong with a delicate up-and-down for birdie on her final hole — the par 5 9th — from short and left of the green.
Speaking of scrambling, the 22-year-old ranks third in the field this week in getting up-and-down at 72.73 percent, and her iron play has been stellar as well, as she’s tied for sixth in greens in regulation on Fields Ranch East thus far this week at 69.44 percent.
There’s a lot to play for over the next 36 holes and Thitikul has shown already that she thrives while playing in big groups. Coming off two rounds with the Nos. 1 and 3 golfers in the Rolex Rankings, she has answered the call and risen to the moment.
Thitikul is making only her 25th start in a major championship, but has carded seven top 10s in those events. With a short game dialed in and local knowledge of the Texas winds in hand, an eighth top 10 and potentially her first major championship trophy are well within sight this weekend.
