Jeeno Thitikul opens with 64 in Women's British Open in quest to finally win a major

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) — Jeeno Thitikul took the first step toward the missing prize of her career Thursday when she opened with a 7-under 64 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes for a two-shot lead over Haeran Ryu and Shiho Kuwaki of Japan in the Women's British Open.

Thitikul, one of only two players to have been No. 1 in women's world ranking without ever having won a major, made three straight birdies early in her afternoon round and kept bogeys off her card the rest of the way.

The 23-year-old Thai has been overlooked during the LPGA major season dominated by Ryu and Nelly Korda, who have split the four majors. Korda, who replaced Thitikul at No. 1 in April, won the first two majors and Ryu won the next two.

Ryu put herself in good position to make it three in a row — not since Inbee Park in 2013 has anyone claimed three straight majors — with two birdies on her last three holes for a 66. She won the Women's PGA at Hazeltine and closed with 60 to win the Evian Championship.

“I was so amazed, and I asked my caddie why I’m playing well this week," Ryu said. "I think it’s because I’m more calm and enjoying the golf more, that’s why these days my golf is going pretty well.”

Korda has work to do. The dominant player through the first week of June, the American star missed the cut at Evian Championship in the most recent major, and she couldn't atone for four bogeys in a pedestrian round of 73.

Thitikul had her best chance to win a major at the Evian a year ago when Grace Kim pulled off a stunning playoff victory. She's yet to contend in a major this year, and she's off to a great start in the final one.

“I knew that I haven’t won one yet, but I feel like I’m so young and then I still had I don’t know how many majors ahead of me,” Thitikul said. "I feel like one day it will come if I do my job.

“When I always step up in the major week I’m not really expecting to like win it because it’s just really out of my control,” she said. “What I can control is if I beat the course every day I should (have a) really good chance to be on the leaderboard.”

She got the best of Royal Lytham & St. Annes by avoiding so many of the pot bunkers that dot the landscape. She hit into a couple of greenside bunkers but managed to save par.

Thitikul has been around so long, even at her age, that she was low amateur in the Women's British Open in 2018, the last time it was held at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

“My strategy is beating my 15-year-old score,” she said. Thitikul shot 12-over 300 that week when Lytham played to a par 72, so that doesn't look to be a problem.

Kuwaki, who has won twice this year on the Japan LPGA, playing in only her seventh LPGA major. She also had three straight birdies on the front nine and dropped only one shot.

“I managed my game well despite the strong winds and I was able to hole some key putts,” she said.

Celine Boutier and Yealimi Noh each shot 67 and were three behind. Charley Hull, another player often reminded she has yet to win a major, was in the large group of players at 69. Adding to pressure on Hull is playing in her home country.

“But I missed quite a few putts today that I felt I should have holed, but I felt like I stayed in there pretty well considering how nervous I was, because I feel there was a lot of pressure on me out there,” Hull said.

Also at 69 was Spain's Paula Martin Sampedro, a senior at Stanford who last year won the Women's British Amateur. She was challenging for the lead until a pair of late bogeys, the last one on No. 18 that cost her a chance to tie the amateur record in the Open.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Nelly Korda, of the U.S. plays a shot out of a bunker on the 3rd hole during the first round of the Women's British Open golf championship in Lytham St Annes, England, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Shiho Kuwaki, of Japan, takes a practice swing on the 14th hole during the first round of the Women's British Open golf championship in Lytham St Annes, England, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Haeran Ryu, of South Korea, tees off the 2nd hole during the first round of the Women's British Open golf championship in Lytham St Annes, England, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Jeeno Thitikul, of Thailand, drives off the 16th tee during the first round of the Women's British Open golf championship in Lytham St Annes, England, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Jeeno Thitikul, of Thailand, chips onto the 14th green during the first round of the Women's British Open golf championship in Lytham St Annes, England, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Representatives from the Trail Blazers met with Portland city councilors on Thursday to discuss a new lease and the commitment of public funds to renovate to the aging Moda Center.

The public work session comes amid the contentious negotiations over the $600 million renovation project, part of striking a long-term lease agreement with the Blazers. A current bridge lease expires in 2030.

The state has already pledged $365 million toward the deal, provided Portland contributes $120 million and Multnomah County also provides funds.

New Blazers owner Tom Dundon has previously said in interviews that he would commit to a 20-year lease that would keep the team in Portland if the state, city and county agree to fund the renovation of the Moda Center, the oldest arena in the NBA that hasn't been upgraded.

An early draft term sheet included funding caps and said any cost overruns should be paid for by the team.

Dewayne Hankins, the team's president of business operations, said the Blazers new owners "believe we can build a team that Rip City can be proud of, and they believe that Portland is the best and most obvious choice for this team.”

Hankins and the Blazers maintain that before negotiations can begin in earnest, the bridge agreement must be amended to take away a provision that requires the team to maintain the Moda Center as a “first-class” NBA arena.

The provision has been used by a city councilor to suggest the city might take legal action if the Blazers are not meeting the standard. The threat of a lawsuit has hung over efforts to strike a deal, Hankins said.

“Although we enter negotiations in good faith, the first-class standard has been wielded as a weapon, chilling our negotiations. To be clear, the first-class standard is a relic language from a 30-year-old lease. It is not standard in today’s NBA deals, and was certainly atypical at the time. Not only that, it would not be included in any new deal with the city,” Hankins said.

He said the team has already contributed more than $1 billion toward construction and maintenance of the arena since it was built.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said: “We are not contemplating suing the Blazers, Rip City Management or other parties.”

Multnomah County will vote on its contribution toward the renovations on Aug. 6, and Portland's city council is set to vote on the matter on Aug. 12.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

FILE - Portland Trail Blazers new owner Tom Dundon speaks during a news conference April 2, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)