CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) — World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul birdied her final three holes Saturday for a 6-under 66 and a two-stroke lead going into the final round of her home LPGA Thailand tournament.
Thitikul made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th to break away from a four-way tie for the lead, then saw her eagle chip just slide past the hole on 18 before tapping in for a birdie.
Thitikul had a 54-hole total of 20-under 196 at the Siam Country Club Old Course.
“I try to keep everything on track,” said the seven-time LPGA Tour winner. “The driver has been really good the past few days and that’s given me confidence. My irons have been better than I expected, and I’ve been rolling the putts well these past three days.”
In second place was Hyo Joo Kim after a 65. Allisen Corpuz (67), second-round leader Somi Lee (72) and Chizzy Iwai (68) were tied for third, three strokes behind Thitikul.
"I’m in a position where I have to chase, but that allows me to be more aggressive,” Kim said. “I made a few mistakes today, so tomorrow I just want to attack and hopefully finish first.”
Lydia Ko shot 69 and was in sixth place, four strokes behind.
The tournament about 125 kilometers (75 miles) east of Bangkok is the first of three events in Asia in consecutive weeks, to be followed by those in Singapore and China in the so-called early Asian swing on the LPGA Tour.
Trailing by three strokes to start the third round, Thitikul was helped by Lee's three bogeys in four holes on the front nine.
On the par-5 first hole, both Thitikul, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on Friday, and Lee had eagle putts, but Lee three-putted for par and Thitikul birdied to close the gap to two strokes. After another birdie on the second, Thitikul moved into a tie for the lead on the sixth hole then took the outright lead when Lee bogeyed the eighth hole.
The two were tied after 12 holes at 18-under after both making birdie on the par-3 hole, stretching their lead to three over the rest of the field.
Canadian Brooke Henderson had a 70 Saturday and was at 7-under, 13 strokes behind. Defending champion Angel Yin shot 69 and was at 3-under.
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Lydia Ko of New Zealand, watches her shot on the 5th green during the first round of the LPGA Honda Thailand golf tournament in Pattaya, Thailand, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kittinun Rodsupan)
Somi Lee of South Korea reacts after putting the ball on the 14th green during the first round of the LPGA Honda Thailand golf tournament in Pattaya, Thailand, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kittinun Rodsupan)
Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand reacts after putting on the first hole during the first round of the LPGA Honda Thailand golf tournament in Pattaya, Thailand, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kittinun Rodsupan)
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong officials on Saturday unveiled resettlement plans for thousands of people who were displaced by the deadliest blaze in decades last November, proposing to buy back the homeownership rights from the fire victims.
Almost three months after the massive blaze spread across seven apartment buildings in Wang Fuk Court, its former occupants have been living in uncertainty about when they would find somewhere they could call home again.
Many of them are adjusting to new lives in their temporary homes scattered across various districts, with the government offering rental grants to help homeowners pay for the short-term accommodation.
Officials said in a news conference on Saturday that homeowners of the seven buildings can sell their ownership rights for cash to secure accommodation of their choice or buy an apartment under a designated government policy. Residents who prefer not to deal with a large amount of cash can directly exchange an apartment under the policy.
The government estimated that buying back the rights of some 1,700 units would cost about 6.8 billion Hong Kong dollars ($870 million), with about 4 billion Hong Kong dollars ($512 million) of that sum to be from public funds and the rest to be covered by a relief fund. The amount of public funds involved could eventually be lowered, factoring in insurance compensation.
Michael Wong, the city’s Deputy Financial Secretary, said the administration was inclined to dismantle the seven buildings and would not redevelop residential homes on the fire site. It could be transformed into a park or community facilities instead.
Wong said there's no reasonable or cost-effective way to repair the damaged buildings, and if the government doesn't intervene, it will be hard for homeowners to find buyers in the market.
“In other words, the funds they have invested in these units over the years could turn to nothing," he said.
The government aims to contact the homeowners in March and hopes to pay the owners in the third quarter of this year, he said, while those who opt for the apartment exchange program could start picking new homes in September.
The proposals came after affected residents were surveyed about their preferences. Wong said 74% of the respondents were willing to consider selling their ownership rights to the government. Some 9% of those who answered the survey said they would only accept redevelopment at the fire site, which the government expected to take about a decade, he said.
The blaze killed 168 people on Nov. 26, 2025, and has shattered a close-knit community in the suburban district of Tai Po. Authorities blamed substandard scaffold netting and foam boards used in a maintenance project for rapidly spreading the fire. Although some arrests were made, an independent committee is still investigating the cause.
Kit Chan, a resident displaced by the Wang Fuk Court fire, poses for a photograph at her temporary housing unit at a youth hostel, on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)
Dorz Cheung, a resident displaced by the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire, is seen at the transitional housing provided by the government in Hong Kong, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
A general view of the fire-ravaged residential towers of the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex, in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
