Nelly Korda-Jeeno Thitikul rivalry takes center stage at Kroger QCC

Korda and Thitikul have combined for five tournament titles on the LPGA this season. The top 5 players in the world have combined for nine titles over 11 events. World No. 4 Ruoning Yin has yet to win this season but has been runner-up in back-to-back events. World No. 3 Hyo Joo Kim and No. 5 Hannah Green will not play in Cincinnati.

Korda has won back-to-back events, including a Chevron Championship title that allowed her to leapfrog Thitikul for the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Rankings. She followed that up by winning the Riviera Maya Open before skipping last week's Mizuho Americas Open.

"My patience, for sure," Korda said of her game's strength right now. "Mentally being on the golf course, just really enjoying it, knowing that I am going to make mistakes and that it's OK. It's not going to ruin my round."

There haven't been many mistakes for Korda, who ranks No. 1 on the LPGA Tour this season in strokes gained overall, strokes gained tee-to-green, scoring average, eagles and sub-70 rounds. Korda has played well in Cincinnati even if it didn't end with a trophy or champagne celebration.

Korda didn't play at Kenwood Country Club (2022-2023) but logged top 5 finishes in each of the last two years at TPC River's Bend. It's a new course this year, but the same approach.

"Every year I feel like I've played Cincinnati, when we played a little up north (Maineville), every year I just played a little different," Korda said. "My prep is almost the same every single time."

Korda and Thitikul are in the same field for the first time since the Chevron Championship. Both of Thitikul's victories this season were in events Korda skipped: last week's Mizuho Americas Open and the Honda LPGA Thailand in February.

A four-putt on No. 18 cost World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul the Kroger Queen City Championship title in 2025. She has been runner-up in the event in back-to-back years.

Thitikul has been a mainstay atop the Kroger Queen City Championship leaderboard, but both she and Korda have never claimed the Cincinnati title. The 23-year-old is also no stranger to thrilling finishes in the event.

In 2024, she held a two-shot 54-hole over Lydia Ko before a poor back-9 resulted in a two-shot loss. Last year, Thitikul had a one-stroke lead going into the final hole, a par-5, and four-putted to lose the crown to Charley Hull.

"I think, for me, world ranking or top players doesn't really define what I'm doing," Thitikul said after winning the Mizuho Americas Open May 10. "I think I'm just trying to just do my best out there, trying to be as consistent as I can because I know it's going to be really tough competition in and out every week."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Nelly Korda-Jeeno Thitikul rivalry takes center stage at Kroger QCC