Jeeno Thitikul torched Fields Ranch East with a 4-under 68 to snatch a one-shot lead after the opening round of the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, shrugging off a double-bogey hiccup with a scorching putter that rolled in nearly 200 feet of putts.
The 22-year-old Thai star, chasing her first major, bounced back from a wayward drive on the fifth with five birdies in a six-hole stretch, including a 60-footer on the par-3 eighth that ignited the galleries.
Thitikul’s 25-putt masterpiece, highlighted by a 35-footer on the 17th, gave her the edge over Minjee Lee (69), with Haeran Ryu, Rio Takeda, and Somi Lee tied at 2-under 70.
“My putter went really well,” said Thitikul. “In the front nine, we had a lot of breeze going, and more than the back nine, but like [made] putts 7, 8, 9, which boosts the confidence up, making the turn to the back nine.”
Playing alongside Nelly Korda (72) and Lydia Ko (75), Thitikul thrived in 94-degree Texas heat, leveraging her Carrollton homebase. Korda, battling a neck injury, sits four back, while Lee’s rollercoaster round featured just one birdie against four bogeys. Only 15 of 156 players broke par on the windy, 6,404-yard layout.
With a $12 million purse and world No. 1 ranking in sight, Thitikul’s fearless approach sets her up for a major breakthrough. As Friday’s round looms, her red-hot flatstick could keep her ahead in this star-packed third major of 2025.
