Jeeno Closes It Out for Mom

 👋 Hey Golf Fans,

If your scream let your neighbor know that the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team just brought home the Olympic gold, you were not alone. We won’t go into the details, but let's just say there’ve been some side-eyes this morning. Turning to golf, Jacob Bridgeman won his first PGA Tour title at Riviera—here’s our post-round coverage in case you missed that. Today, we’re talking about Jeeno Thitikul’s victory, some great shots, Jordan Spieth’s latest gig, and more.

Let’s get swinging…

Victory never comes easy. Even when you have the whole gallery nation rallying behind you. Jeeno Thitikul (24-under) was reeling under pressure throughout the final round at the LPGA Thailand. Naturally, tears of joy rolled down her cheek when her mom, Siriwan, ran up to hug her on the 18th green. She had just dropped the final putt to win in front of her mom for the first time. Here is what Thitikul whispered in her mom’s ear, choking up on tears.

It is the only tournament where Siriwan gets to see Jeeno play. And Jeeno wanted to gift her a victory. Little wonder she was sweating on the 18th tee, holding onto a slim one-shot lead on the final hole. Her two-stroke lead from the third round evaporated courtesy of two bogeys on the 4th and 13th.

Meanwhile, Chizzy Iwai, playing in the group ahead, fired a 66 with two birdies and two eagles to catch up with Thitikul. The Japanese missed a four-foot birdie on the 15th to grab the outright lead. Nevertheless, a playoff looked inevitable as Jeeno’s putter kept betraying her. However, she birdied the 17th to pull away by one shot and bag her eighth LPGA title.

Thitikul compared the feeling to something almost akin to winning a major. And why not? In 2017, 14-year-old Jeeno won the Ladies European Thailand Championship in Pattaya by two strokes. She became the youngest player to win on the LET, breaking Lydia Ko’s record.

Nine years later, Thitikul is once again the champion in her home country.

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Broadcaster of the Week: Jordan Spieth has the best recovery shots. He also has the best self-deprecating jokes. He can sing as well—remember this gem? On Sunday, Spieth showed his flair for commentary. Someone joked he should do this for a living. You would agree after watching Spieth react and comment on Rory’s bunker hole-out below.

Flex of the week: The gallery around 18th was already filled to the brim. Then Tiger Woods walked up to congratulate and present the trophy to Jacob Bridgeman. A standing ovation followed the moment Tiger picked up the mic. He had to stop his speech amid deafening roars and claps—check it out here.

Shot of the week: Max Greyserman (T24) made an ace yesterday. There was also this stunning 173-yard hole-out eagle from Tommy Fleetwood (T7). But Rory’s (T2) final-hole birdie takes the cake. The Ulsterman hammered it home from the collar of the green. It was a long putt, and it took an excruciatingly longggg time to drop inside. Relish the beauty here (warning: the roar from the gallery might harm your eardrums).

Picture of the week: Despite his tryst with floaties and resistance bands on the range, Viktor Hovland is far from his best. He finished at 3-under, 15 shots from the leader, for a T41. And this one picture of Hovland squatting on the edge of the green, looking visibly distressed, just sums up his week.

Winner(s) of the Week: Of course, Jacob Bridgeman was the ultimate winner. But let's take a moment to applaud the crowd at Riviera. LA showed up. Big time. Just check this picture to understand what we mean. How many times a year do you get to see this at a non-major tournament?

With the Genesis Invitational ending, our Essentially Golf Prediction Challenge winner is finalized. The contest was tight, and we had to apply the tiebreaker to determine the final five. So, congratulations to the top five finishers.

A quick snapshot of the prediction challenge:

The top performer will take home a $25 gift card. And to everyone else who played along and shared your picks with us, thanks for being part of the ride. We'll have more such challenges coming up soon. Stay tuned…

New Zealand PGA Championship: Austen Truslow (-6) battled 40 mph winds to win his first OWGR-sanctioned event in 11 years. Watch how his peers and gallery reacted to the victory. You might remember Truslow for his odd one-handed chipping, but the Floridian’s story is inspiring. Truslow lost his KFT status after a series of horrible accidents—he slammed his finger in a door, got Covid, got hit in the ankle by a shot, and ultimately tore two ligaments in his wrist. He was plying his trade on mini tours and the Asian Tour, and yesterday patience paid off at the NZ PGA Championship.

Magical Kenya Open: Casey Jarvis (-25) of South Africa held off playing partner Davis Bryant (-22) to win the Magical Kenya Open by three strokes. It was the 22-year-old’s first victory in front of his dad, and he eagled the 72nd hole to ensure that. Quite naturally the celebration was loud and bold, as you can see here. 

Jonsson Workwear Durban Open: Oliver Bekker (-16) won the weather-shortened Durban Open by two strokes thanks to a final round 67. Here is the winning putt. The 41-year-old South African moved to Australia last year, where he won only a couple of months back.

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Riviera Country Club was wet this week, and it claimed its victims. No one likes soggy greens. But you can’t help it. So how do you ensure pure ball striking like Collin Morikawa on a wet course? Here are three tips from renowned coach Alex Fortey.

• Before teeing off, check the clubhead. Keep it dry. Now pay heed to the footwork. Flare your feet out a bit to avoid slipping.

• Avoid excess lower-body drive and focus on controlled balance on the lead foot. The swing must be more upper-body driven using core and arm speed.

• You need to catch the ball clean for precise approach shots. Grip the club a little lower than your usual grip and put the ball farther forward in your stance. Notice the exact ball position in the video below.

Don’t hit down too steeply. Otherwise, you will lose the height. These three tips will help you save a stroke or two. For more tips on playing golf in wet conditions, check out the article below.

Five Tips for Playing Muddy Lies with Confidence

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