MIZUHO AMERICAS OPEN

May 8, 2026

Jeeno Thitikul

Mountain Ridge Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Jeeno after her second round here at the Mizuho Americas Open. Really big test for a lot of golfers out there today. 3-under for you. What did you do to make the course -- what did you do to do so well on the course today?

JEENO THITIKUL: I didn't do it well when the wind really picking up in the beginning.

I mean, luckily we don't have much wind on the back nine after the rain came and then the wind just like shut down. Then we just lucky. If we got the breeze the front nine I don't think my number is going to be that low for sure.

I mean, when the wind picking up it's play -- it obviously played so hard here, but plus the wind it's harder for sure.

Q. When the wind is not blowing, what are you doing to take advantage of the course? A ton of birdies on the front nine, like you were saying.

JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I think the front nine was easier than the back nine anyway. I mean, like shorter, some -- two makable par-5, and then it's just make it -- I think plus no wind it's make it easier for our wave to be able to put the low score.

But then I just hit it good, too. I make putts, two long putts. I hit it good on the par-3 and then birdie for two par-5, reaching on the green.

Q. Only missed two greens in regulation so far this week. What are you do in the mid-to-short iron game to put yourself in position on the green?

JEENO THITIKUL: Don't say my iron is good, please. (Laughing.)

Because even me, I always like to call my coach every single day since March until now. I got things on my feeling-wise, on my technique-wise that I think could be improve, but, I mean, I think it just golf and it just -- I just had, you know, less overthinking about it maybe.

I know I have (indiscernible), I have put fade, I know I have everything, but I just going to hit this there where my caddie order or where I want to aim.

So I think it just maybe less overthinking.

Q. You said earlier this week that your coach told you not to try so hard. Seems like maybe you listened. Is that part of it?

JEENO THITIKUL: I have to listen. If not, I think might go way longer than this; might go wild.

But, I mean, my coach, like he has been with me for a long, long time. I think even he been with me and knew me before we going to start play -- like work together.

And then he knew how much I work and then I always told him that I never feel like I practice enough and then he said, just you know what? Just a lot more than other players do. I was like oh, okay. I start listening to him two years ago I guess, like end of '23, and I start practicing less.

Even now have some issue with my irons a little bit and then maybe I overthinking thing and then over-trying to be good in a short period of time. I just call him on the practice round like, I'm just so tired. I'm just so tired of why I put thing on but it's not showing the result.

And then he just said, then don't try it. Just go play like -- just go do your part, do your job, which is 18 hole, and then you just left. Just go home. Go do something else.

Because if you don't trying that much you not expecting things to be good because you're not trying anything. I was like, okay. I'll just do that.

Q. Have you been doing some of the things you like in your down time, LEGOs, matcha?

JEENO THITIKUL: I got my nails done yesterday. But I went to the gym and I went directly to a nail near the official hotel. I watching a lot of comedians. I walked to the avenues around the hotel, which is had a lot of food to eat. But fail yesterday. Hopefully I can make it better today.

Q. Coming off Chevron two weeks ago, did you feel like coming out today like you wanted to prove yourself this week even if just to you to feel better?

JEENO THITIKUL: I don't think I have to prove anything to like even other players or -- not players, people or myself, because like what I have I already prove for a long, long time.

But, I mean, like it's just a certain time that you know golf is seem easy for you. Then I have a certain time that why golf is so hard for me, which is Chevron it's one of the week that I feel like, what did I do wrong? I just hit one right. I don't know which hole. I hit one driver right on the cart path and hit the cart part over the bounds, like out of bounds.

I'm like, what is golf did to me right now? And then coming to this week, didn't expect anything, to be honest. Didn't expect things to be good, but expect my feeling to feel better with golf, and then it's surprisingly came up really good.

Q. And can you just talk a little bit about what the weather was like out there today for people that may not have experienced it?

JEENO THITIKUL: So weird. The weather is so weird. I mean, like I check, I trying to check the forecast every day, even not this week but last week when I was in Dallas. Like why is drop down so fast? And then even today it's so weird. I wear like three layers top, two layers bottom, and it's certain time to get really cold and I feel like I need more jacket. It's certain time it's really hot and I really want to take it off so bad.

And then it's just, I don't know, I mean, wind just so breezing on the front nine, and then, I don't know, we all three, like me, Ronni and Ina, talking about the weather. Like I don't know what to wear right now in this kind of weather. Obviously that's make golf hard.

Q. Last thing. Going into the weekend right now you're leading. What do you do to prepare?

JEENO THITIKUL: Like my coach said, I guess, just do your job. Just prepare things the same routine. I mean, just let golf be golf and let me be me. Even golf just be mean but we can be kind to ourself.

So I think it's just maybe stick to that process that just another day at the office and then whatever it's turn out to be that turn out to be, and then you figure it out.

Some holes you're had surprising and some holes figure it out things when things not going your way.