“I feel really good. You know, to be honest, I didn’t think it’s going to be that good result out there. To be honest, even you know especially today just said to my coach, like if anybody can shoot like under par today, that person or that player will be really, really great,” Thitikul said after her Friday round.

The Thai native felt the course wasn’t giving much to the field on Friday, and as a result seemed grateful with where she ended up.

“I’m shooting 2-under par and I was like, ‘wow’ because I think even 1-over, 2-over, I’ll take it today,” Thitikul said. “As you see the pin position-wise and the wind was so strong.”

Thitikul has been seemingly automatic with her putter this week, leading the field in putting. Even though the rising star didn’t match her 199.5 feet of putts on Friday like she did on Thursday, Thitikul still delivered four birdies on Friday and finished strong with a delicate up-and-down for birdie on her final hole — the par 5 9th — from short and left of the green.

Speaking of scrambling, the 22-year-old ranks third in the field this week in getting up-and-down at 72.73 percent, and her iron play has been stellar as well, as she’s tied for sixth in greens in regulation on Fields Ranch East thus far this week at 69.44 percent.