Jeeno Thitikul makes her return to Royal Lytham & St Annes for the AIG Women’s Open.

World number two Jeeno Thitikul has happy memories of Royal Lytham & St Annes ahead of this week’s AIG Women’s Open.

The Thai star, who has twice reached the top of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, was among the field eight years ago when the Fylde coast club last staged the tournament.

That saw the then 15-year-old win the Smyth Salver, awarded to the lowest-scoring amateur player who makes the cut.

“When I came here to Royal Lytham, I was lucky enough to make the cut,” said Thitikul, who retained the Smyth Salver at Woburn in 2019.

“I think I finished last, but I felt like I had won because I was the only amateur who made the cut.

“It’s just a really great memory for me as a young kid and to be able to come back here as a professional is really different, too.”

The only player to have won the Smyth Salver outright in consecutive years, Thitikul’s best finish at the Open came when she tied for seventh at Muirfield in 2022.

This week’s Open begins only three weeks after the conclusion of the Evian Championship, the penultimate women’s major of the year.

All five majors will have been played in a little more than three months, a schedule Thitikul feels would benefit from being spread out more - even if she relishes the competition from other players.

“I think the schedule this year has felt like back-to-back-to-back majors every week,” she said.

“If you’re on a good run, you might have a good chance every week that you play.

“I feel like if we could spread it out a little bit between the majors, it would be better for the fans and all the players.

“To have such a high level of competition, not just with Nelly (Korda, world number one) but with all the players on Tour, is really challenging me every week. I can’t stop improving my game.”