Asia Awakens: What Thailand’s Opening Round Tells Us About Women’s Golf in 2026

There’s something genuinely special happening in Etchonburi this week, and I don’t just mean Nasa Hataoka’s gorgeous 7-under 65. After 35 years watching professional golf from every conceivable angle—standing in rough beside Tom Lehman’s bag, sitting in press towers from Augusta to Abu Dhabi—I’ve learned to recognize when a tournament carries real narrative weight. The LPGA Thailand opener does, and not always for the reasons you’d expect.

On the surface, we’ve got a familiar script: a talented Japanese player running hot, the home favorite performing well, and some of the world’s best female golfers converging on a quality golf course for a three-week Asian swing. But dig deeper, and what emerges is a tour in active recalibration—one that’s figuring out who’s hungry and who’s coasting, who owns these early weeks, and frankly, who’s decided to sit them out.

The Hataoka Narrative: Experience Meets Precision

Let’s start with Hataoka. At 27, she’s hardly a youngster anymore, but she’s also not a perennial major threat the way we might have expected after her 2021 U.S. Women’s Open runner-up finish. What strikes me about her opening salvo here is the clinical nature of it. Listen to what she said after the round:

“I think my tee shots and iron shots were pretty good today, and that’s why I was able to create so many birdie chances.”

That’s not luck talking. That’s not adrenaline or course management gambles. That’s a player who’s identified her strengths and executed them. Hataoka knows she won’t out-distance the longest hitters on tour, so she’s weaponizing accuracy off the tee and precision with her irons. In my experience, that’s the path to consistency on the LPGA Tour—and consistency is how you win multiple times, which Hataoka has done five times as an individual winner.

The fact that she’s tied for the lead after 18 holes with a local favorite in Chanettee Wannasaen tells you something else: the Old Course at Siam Country Club isn’t playing like a bombers’ paradise. This is a course that rewards smart golf, and Hataoka is delivering exactly that.

The Deeper Story: Selectivity and Skip Strategy

But here’s what really caught my attention when I read through the field list: Nelly Kord isn’t here. And she won’t be in Singapore or China either.

Now, before anyone starts writing “Is Nelly Done?” headlines—and trust me, someone will—let me offer some context. Kord just won the Tournament of Champions after 14 months without a victory. That’s a confidence boost that can’t be overstated. She’s also been skipping this early Asia swing for the third consecutive year. What that tells me is less about Kord’s form and more about strategic thinking at the highest levels of professional golf.

In my three decades covering this tour, I’ve watched evolve the calculus of when and where to play. The grind of three consecutive weeks in Asia—potentially in different time zones, different conditions, dealing with travel fatigue—doesn’t suit every player’s schedule or temperament. Some players build their season around marquee events and strategic American stops. Others (like top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul) are built for these swings.

What matters is that Kord is healthy, competitive, and winning. Her absence here actually reflects confidence in her game, not weakness. That’s the kind of thinking that keeps a player fresh for the majors.

Thitikul’s Homecoming and the New Guard

Meanwhile, Thitikul sits at 6-under, tied for sixth after an opening 67. At 22, she’s playing her home LPGA event for what feels like the hundredth time, but she still carries that magical quality of youth meeting experience. Listen to how she framed it:

“I couldn’t believe like time flies so fast. I mean, yesterday I just sitting on the coach in the hotel room and imagine I couldn’t believe how far that I have been come from 14 to now.”

That’s not just nostalgia. That’s a player who’s already achieved more than most golfers dream of—and she’s still hungry. The fact that she’s not leading suggests she’s not in a dominant form this week, but she’s in the conversation. That matters for a home event. The Thai fans will be energized.

The Field Quality Check

Let’s talk about the overall health of the field. After one round, we have six different players within two shots of the lead. That’s competitive density. Gemma Dryburgh opened with an eagle and three birdies for a 66—the kind of aggressive start that shows the Old Course is receptive to bold golf. Somi Lee, Hye-Jin Choi, and Lydia Ko are all lurking within two strokes.

The only slight concern is defending champion Angel Yin’s 69, which puts her five back. That’s not insurmountable—we’re one day into a 72-hole tournament—but it suggests she might not be in the same form that won her this event last year. Defending titles is notoriously difficult, particularly in Asia where courses and conditions can play different year to year.

What Comes Next

Three weeks in Asia is a grind, but it’s also an opportunity to establish momentum before the season really heats up. Hataoka’s precision game, Thitikul’s familiarity with home soil, and the competitive balance we’re seeing suggests this year’s swing could produce some genuine breakthroughs.

The women’s tour is in a healthy place: diverse winners, international talent thriving, and players making smart decisions about where and when they need to play. That’s not just good for the LPGA. That’s good for professional golf.