Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul surged up the leaderboard at the Fortinet Founders Cup on Friday, carding a 6-under-par 66 to match the low round of the day.

Thitikul, who opened with an even-par 72 Thursday, found her rhythm at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club with seven birdies and just a single bogey in the second round. The 23-year-old Thai star sits at 6-under-par for the tournament, firmly in contention as the LPGA Tour hits the San Francisco Bay Area.

The eight-time LPGA Tour winner noted that the course conditions shifted between her practice rounds and the start of the tournament.

"My first impression was like, wow, it’s so soft on Monday," Thitikul said. "Then it’s really surprising me and impressing me yesterday that it’s so bounce and firm on the green. I was like, wow. How different is it from the practice round until the tournament day."

The firmer conditions added an extra layer of difficulty to her early-week preparation, but the strategy for the weekend remains centered on precision over power.

"If you ask me what to do well here, you have to be on the fairway first," she said. "Find the fairway. The rough was rough."

Thitikul’s second-round charge was aided by a comfortable atmosphere in a featured group that included LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko and two-time Tour winner Linn Grant. The pairing was a welcome one for Thitikul, who shared a lighthearted moment with Ko before the tournament began.

"Before the pro-am party this week... I sit with Lydia and then she said, 'I am wondering what’s the pairing going to be like,' and then she said, 'I want to play with you. Like you're my number one. You're easy. You're chillin’,'" Thitikul said. "I always love playing with her."

"Then also Linn hitting bombs as always, and then Linn is just my — in Korean they call eonni, which is like older sister. I just love everything about her. Her game, her personality."

While Thitikul made one of the biggest moves of the morning wave — jumping 57 spots to share third with six other players — she is chasing a strong contingent of players.

Jeeno Thitikul Surges into Contention with Second-Round 66 at Fortinet Founders Cup

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