WASHINGTON: England’s Charley Hull birdied four of the last eight holes to grab a one-stroke lead over Thailand’s top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Queen City Championship.
The 29-year-old Briton fired a five-under par 67 to stand on 16-under 200 after 54 holes at TPC River’s Bend in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“I put in some good work when I was home, all the work that I could do and (I) feel relaxed,” Hull said after being home last month. “Just (have to) play like I did the last few days and go out there and have some fun.”
Jeeno fired a 68 to stand second on 201 with Japan’s Chizato Iwai and Miyu Yamashita sharing third on 202 after each shot 66.
Hull has won four times on the Ladies European Tour, most recently at Riyadh last November, and twice on the LPGA Tour, at the 2016 Tour Championship and 2022 Volunteers of America Classic.
This marks the eighth time she has led or shared the lead entering an LPGA final round, with both her tour wins coming from those tournaments.
Hull answered her second bogey of the week, at the par-three fifth, with birdies at the par-three seventh and par-four ninth holes, then added back-to-back birdies at the par-five 11th and par-three 12th, another at 15 and a final birdie at the par-five 18th.
“Just played pretty solid,” Hull said. “Just kept it going out there. Kept playing steady golf and made a nice birdie to finish.”
Hull found 10 of 14 fairways and reached 12 of 18 greens in regulation, making 27 putts on the day.
Jeeno, 22, birdied the third and fourth holes, the par-five eighth and 11th and answered a bogey at 17 with a closing birdie.
“I think I can make a birdie almost all the par-fives that I have,” Jeeno said. “I think I do have a lot of chances to make a birdie, but my putter didn’t come up today.”
World number two Nelly Korda and fellow American Yealimi Noh were in a fifth-place pack on 203 with Mary Liu of China and Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines.
A group on 204 included England’s Lottie Woad, Australian Gabriela Ruffels, Germany’s Olivia Cowan, South Korean Kim Sei-young and Sweden’s Maja Stark.
Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen, who led after the first and second rounds, fired a 75 to stand on 206.
Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand was on 208 after firing a 69.
England’s Hull leads Jeeno by one at LPGA Queen City event
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England’s Hull leads Jeeno by one at LPGA Queen City event
- The 29-year-old Briton fired a five-under par 67 to stand on 16-under 200 after 54 holes at TPC River’s Bend in Cincinnati, Ohio
The danger is real for Tottenham as specter of Premier League relegation looms
What’s been increasingly apparent to despairing Tottenham fans for some months is now suddenly clear for everyone: their team could genuinely be relegated from the Premier League.
Spurs have been regarded for some time as part of England’s so-called “Big Six” — so much so that they were involved in the quickly aborted Super League project in 2021 — but they aren’t playing like it, at least in the Premier League.
Last season, Tottenham finished in 17th place, one spot above the bottom three, but was never in realistic danger of relegation.
This season, the danger is real. Tottenham is in 16th place but just four points above the relegation zone with 11 rounds remaining and is the only team in the league without a win in 2026 heading into a match at Fulham on Sunday.
The only victories this calendar year have come in the Champions League, which Tottenham finished in the top eight after the first stage to advance directly to the round of 16.
Spurs — the Europa League winners last season — haven’t been able to reproduce their European exploits in the Premier League, with their shortcomings exposed in a 4-1 thrashing by fierce rival Arsenal last weekend. That was Igor Tudor ‘s first match in charge of Tottenham and it laid bare the scale of the task facing the Croatian, who replaced Thomas Frank at the helm.
Tudor has a long injury list to deal with — among the top players on it are James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall and Pedro Porro — as well as confidence issues within the squad. Do they have the stomach for a relegation battle?
Also going against Tottenham is the fact that third-to-last West Ham is showing more resilience in recent weeks, losing just one of its eight games in all competitions.
It doesn’t help, either, that while Spurs are at a low ebb, Arsenal is currently the top team in England.
Tottenham has been an ever-present in the Premier League since the competition was founded in 1992, and last played in the second tier in the 1977-78 season.
Key matchups
The title race resumes with first-place Arsenal at home to Chelsea. They recently met over two legs in the English League Cup semifinals and Arsenal won both games.
Manchester City is five points behind in second place, though has a game in hand, and is away to Leeds. That sees City striker Erling Haaland return to the city where he was born.
Players to watch
Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko will be looking to score in a third straight game when Crystal Palace visits Old Trafford. Sesko scored an equalizer against West Ham and then a winner at Everton, both times off the bench.
Out of action
Liverpool manager Arne Slot will hope for positive news about Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz, who missed the win at Nottingham Forest last weekend because of back pain.
Liverpool hosts West Ham on Saturday.
Off the field
It seems Crystal Palace and its manager, Oliver Glasner, are heading toward a messy break-up.
Glasner, who led Palace to its first ever trophy last season by winning the FA Cup, has already confirmed he’s leaving his job at the end of the season and has been non-committal about whether he would even be staying that long.
Fans held up a banner containing the words, “Fans disrespected — Glasner finished” during a match against Wolverhampton last weekend.
