Charley Hull Climbs the Leaderboard as Jeeno Thitikul Sets the Pace at the Women’s  PGA Championship

Hull’s Three‑Under 69 Turns Heads on a Brutal Day at Fields Ranch East

When the Texas wind decides to bare its teeth, Fields Ranch East can feel less like a pristine major‑championship venue and more like a rugged outpost on a golfing frontier. On a sun‑scorched Friday in Frisco, just 14 players found red numbers—and only one of them ventured into the 60s. That lone low‑round belonged to England’s Charley Hull, whose gutsy three‑under‑par 69 jolted her right back into contention at the Women’s PGA Championship.

The 29‑year‑old began the day licking her wounds after an opening‑round 78 that had threatened to turn her week into a quiet footnote. But golf rarely moves in straight lines. With a card that read four birdies, a single bogey and a stack of clutch par saves, Hull reminded everyone why she owns two career LPGA titles and a reputation for fearless ball‑striking.

“I played smart where I had to and aggressive when the chance was there,” she said afterward, sweat‑soaked but smiling. “You don’t shoot 69 out here by accident. You pick your spots, keep the big numbers off the card and trust the swing—even when the wind’s howling at your eardrums.”

Yet even Hull’s heroics could not dislodge Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul from top spot. The world No. 2 added a workmanlike 70 to Thursday’s 68, moving to six‑under for the championship. It was hardly fireworks: four birdies, two bogeys, plenty of controlled shot‑making, and a palpable sense that she’s ready to claim her first major.

“The wind and the rough—that was the story,” Thitikul admitted. “Today I hit more fairways, and when I missed, I accepted par. Eighteen pars here is never a bad thing.”

A Tale of Two Rounds: Hull’s Bounce‑Back and Thitikul’s Poise

The contrast between Hull’s opening 78 and Friday’s 69 feels stark—and speaks to the fickle nature of major‑championship golf. On Thursday, she sprayed too many tee shots into ankle‑high native grass, piled up double bogeys, and ended the day wondering how to steady the ship.

She answered resoundingly, birdieing the par‑3 3rd, adding red figures at the 6th and 10th, and erasing a lone blemish at the par‑4 12th with a curling 15‑footer at 15. Suddenly, the leaderboard that had once felt out of reach looked only a handful of strokes away.

Thitikul, meanwhile, controlled the narrative from the outset. Her iron play was precise, her short game tidy. Even when the wind gusted past 25 mph, she never veered from the game plan: play to safe sections of greens, respect the firm surfaces, and wait for the putter to cooperate.

“I’ve won big events, but not a major,” she said, a calm smile belying the ambition bubbling beneath. “Of course it’s in my head, but I can’t rush. Stick to the process, keep hitting fairways, and let Sunday take care of itself.”

Chasers on the Horizon: Takeda, Lee and Thompson Lurk

Three shots back sit Rio Takeda and Minjee Lee, each well‑versed in major pressure. Japan’s Takeda, a quiet assassin with a rhythmic swing, posted a tidy 71 despite signing for her lone double bogey of the week at the par‑4 14th.

Lee, already with two majors on her résumé, ground out a level‑par 72 that perhaps felt better than it looked. “There were times I felt like a boxer on the ropes,” she joked. “Par was a good score on almost every hole.”

Hovering at two‑under is Lexi Thompson, who matched Thitikul’s 70 and insisted she’s finally feeling in sync with her revamped putting stroke. “When it gets this windy, you just aim small and swing committed,” Thompson said. “Miss the fairway and, trust me, it’s a one‑shot penalty at best.”

Rough Justice: Why Fields Ranch East Showed Its Teeth

How did Charley Hull perform in R2 of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship?

The new‑for‑2025 championship host is a brute—stretching beyond 6,900 yards with fairways framed by wiry rough and bunkers hungry for anything less than perfection. Add a dry Texas breeze and temps north of 90°F, and the equation becomes simple: keep your ball on grass, or pay the toll.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda found out the hard way. Her 74 featured four bogeys, two birdies, and a dozen irritated glances at a putter that refused to comply. At two‑over, she’s far from out of it, but her margin for error is now razor thin.

Ireland’s Leona Maguire endured a similar fate. A mis‑read here, a flyer there, and suddenly a tidy card unravelled into a 74 that sent her backward. “It felt like swimming upstream,” she sighed. “But majors should feel tough.”

Defending champion Amy Yang? Nowhere near the weekend. Rounds of 76 and 77 left the Korean veteran nine‑over and packing her bags. Proof, if it were needed, that reputations mean little on a course that punishes anything less than A+ control.

Major Pressure Mounts: What to Expect on Moving Day

With 36 holes left, the equation is refreshingly simple: Thitikul controls her destiny, but a chasing pack full of proven winners is poised to pounce. The weekend forecast calls for continued heat and wind—mother nature refusing to hand out red numbers without a fight.

Key storylines to watch:

1. Hull’s momentum – Can the Englishwoman back up Friday’s brilliance, or will Thursday’s driver yips resurface?

2. Thitikul’s nerves – The 21‑year‑old is hunting a first major; how will she handle late‑Sunday pressure if her lead narrows?

3. Minjee Lee’s patience – Few handle crosswinds better, and her pedigree suggests she’ll loom large come the back nine on Sunday.

4. The two‑over pack – Korda, Maguire, and a host of others sit inside the cut line with the firepower to go low if conditions soften.

Final Thoughts: A Championship Balanced on a Knife‑Edge

Semi-retired Thompson heads into weekend at KPMG Women’s PGA contending for another major

The Women’s PGA Championship often finds drama in attrition rather than fireworks, and Fields Ranch East looks determined to uphold that tradition. Birdies feel like bonuses; pars feel like small victories; and one wild gust can turn a flushed 7‑iron into a lost ball.

For Charley Hull, Friday proved that resilience remains her calling card. For Jeeno Thitikul, it was confirmation that her all‑around game is major‑ready. And for the rest of the field, it was a warning: anything under par is gold dust out here.

With two rounds to play, the margin separating ecstasy from heartbreak is thinner than the blades of prairie grass dancing in the Texas wind. Whoever hoists the trophy on Sunday will have earned it the hard way—one fairway found, one knee‑knocking putt holed, and one surging gust conquered at a time.