Hold onto your hats, golf fans, because the CME Group Tour Championship just got a whole lot more exciting! Jeeno Thitikul is making waves after firing an incredible second-round 63, propelling her to the top of the leaderboard with a three-shot lead. But here's where it gets even more thrilling: she's aiming to defend her title in the most lucrative tournament in women's golf, boasting a jaw-dropping $4 million top prize. Could she pull off the back-to-back win? Only time will tell.
Let’s dive into the numbers. After two rounds, Thitikul sits comfortably at 14 under par, with South Korea’s Kim Sei-young trailing at 11 under. Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and first-round leader Somi Lee are hot on her heels at 10 under. And this is the part most people miss: Nelly Korda, the home favorite, is staging a comeback. After a shaky start on Thursday, she stormed up the leaderboard with a 64, tying for fifth place. Korda credits a quick, five-minute tweak to her putting for the turnaround—talk about a game-changer!
But the drama doesn’t stop there. Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen is the highest-placed European at eight under, while England’s Charley Hull is left scratching her head after a round of 69 that included three bogeys. Meanwhile, Lottie Woad sits at five under, eight shots behind Thitikul. With a total purse of $11 million on the line, every stroke counts in this high-stakes finale.
Here’s the full leaderboard breakdown after round two:
Leaderboard Top Contenders:
- -14: Jeeno Thitikul (Tha)
- -11: Kim Sei-young (Kor)
- -10: Nasa Hataoka (Jpn), Somi Lee (Kor)
Selected Others:
- -9: Nelly Korda (US)
- -8: Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Den)
- -7: Lydia Ko (NZ), Allisen Corpuz (US)
- -6: Charley Hull (Eng)
- -5: Lottie Woad (Eng), Angel Yin (US), Maja Stark (Swe), Minami Yamashita (Jpn)
- -4: Lexi Thompson (US)
For the full leaderboard, check out BBC Sport’s coverage.
Now, let’s stir the pot a bit. Is Thitikul’s dominance a sign of a new era in women’s golf, or can Korda’s late surge shake things up? And what about the Europeans—can they close the gap in this global showdown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. One thing’s for sure: this tournament is far from over, and every swing could rewrite the story.
