Jeeno Thitikul kept her name at the top of the Mizuho Americas Open leaderboard for a third straight day on Saturday, shooting a 2-under-par 70 to reach 10-under 206 after 54 holes at Mountain Ridge Country Club.
The defending champion will take a two-shot lead into the final round after her advantage was trimmed from three shots to two. Celine Boutier moved into solo second at 8 under with a 67, while Hye-Jin Choi climbed to third at 7 under after a 66. Allisen Corpuz joined Ruoning Yin and Hannah Green in a share of fourth at 6 under.
Thitikul, who won the event last year at Liberty National Golf Club, made her day the hard way. She bogeyed the second hole, then answered with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 before finishing with a birdie at the par-5 17th to get to 10 under for the first time. Her round never looked flashy, but it kept her in control of a field where no one else could quite close the gap.
The 21-year-old Thai star, ranked No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, said she kept the approach simple: pick a target, commit and swing. That steady formula has worked through three rounds, and it showed in the numbers as well. Thitikul missed only six greens in 54 holes, a sign of how rarely she has been out of position this week.
Boutier said she has been learning the course a little more each day, and Saturday’s calmer first stretch helped her create more birdie chances before the wind picked up late. Choi, meanwhile, said the difference from Friday was the putting; she had too many three-putts in the second round, but on Saturday she kept the ball closer and made the saves she needed. That shift pushed both players into better position, even if neither could catch Thitikul.
The tournament was moved 27 miles northwest from Liberty National Golf Club to Mountain Ridge Country Club this year, and Thitikul has adjusted better than anyone else. Jennifer Kupcho and Brooke Matthews each shot 2-over 74 and dropped out of the top nine, leaving Thitikul with one last round to protect the lead she has carried since the first day.
She has been here before, and that may matter as much as anything else. The final round now asks whether anyone can pressure a player who has led from the front all week, or whether Thitikul turns another solid 54-hole start into a second straight win at the event.
