Leona Maguire showed no signs of her recent poor form, shooting a level-par 72 to sit four shots back of leader Jeeno Thitikul at the women’s PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East.
Bouncing back after four consecutive missed cuts, Maguire switched putters back to a similar model of her old putter, asking the Ping rep to bring it out to Texas this week. After one bogey and eight pars on the front, the Cavan native made two birdies to get under par for the championship, before bogeying the 16th and settling for level-par.
The current world number 86 is dealing with a particularly nasty blood blister on her right hand as a result of several tick bites and her twin sister Lisa, who recently graduated from dental school, needed to dress the wound twice during round one in Texas.
Maguire is in a tie for 16th place, four back of Thitikul, who is looking for her first major title and the world number two held on tight, opening with a four-under 68. She was the clubhouse leader as the afternoon wave began to put their pegs in the ground.
“If the wind (changes direction) it can play totally different golf course than what we have been playing right now,” Thitikul said. “I think to be honest, it wasn’t that easy being in (red figures) every day. Just, you have to be on the fairways and on the greens to have a really good chance to make birdie as well.”
Statistically, Thitikul is built for major championship venues like Fields Ranch East, but somewhat jarringly, she was in the 100’s in strokes gained: off the tee on Thursday and well into the 80’s in strokes gained: approach. She did, however, gain more than six shots to the field with her putter – firmly leading the way – making almost 200 feet of putts on Thursday.
“I think my putter went really well today,” Thitikul said. “You know, like in the front nine we had a lot of breeze going and more than the back nine, but like had hole the putt 7, 8, 9, which boost the (confidence) up making the turn to the back nine.”
Thitikul has been one of the game’s most consistent performers so far in 2025 with a win already (to go along with a win on the Ladies European Tour) along with six top-10 finishes. She leads the way in plenty of key statistical categories and can leapfrog Nelly Korda for the No. 1 spot in the world if she wins this week and Korda finishes tied for 11th or worse.
Minjee Lee was tied for the lead with Thitikul at 4-under until she hit her approach on the final hole short and into a greenside bunker en route to a bogey.
Maguire gets her second round underway at 7.44pm Irish time on Friday and don’t forget she’ll be in action along with a host of international stars as well as a huge Irish contingent at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House from July 3-6. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE
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