Thitikul Carries Three-Shot Lead Into Final Round at LOTTE Championship
Jeeno Thitikul shot a 5-under 67 at Hoakalei Country Club to reach 17-under and lead the LOTTE Championship by three strokes. Polly Mack and Ina Yoon are tied for second at 14-under. Thitikul is trying to secure her fourth LPGA Tour victory of the season.
Thitikul, a 23-year-old from Thailand and the world's second-ranked player, sits at 17-under 199 after a third-round 67. She began the day tied with Mack at 12-under, and neither had made a bogey over the first two rounds. Her first dropped shot came at the par-4 seventh after a water ball. She then birdied Nos. 10-12 and closed with birdies at 17 and 18.
Mack and Yoon are tied second at 14-under. Mack posted 70 after missing eight straight cuts and finishing T-64 last week. Yoon shot 69. Stark and Melgrati share fourth at 13-under, while Vu, Yamashita and Zhang are at 12-under. Cooper's 64 lifted her into the top 10.
Thitikul's chase for a fourth LPGA win could raise visibility for women's golf, particularly among fans in Thailand and younger players looking for role models. A leaderboard with competitors from Germany, South Korea, Sweden, Italy, Japan, China and the U.S. may reinforce the tour's international appeal. If interest grows, the Hawaii event and local tourism could see modest benefits, though the scale depends on broadcast reach and attendance. The outcome may also shape season narratives around Thitikul's strong season and Mack's resurgence.