WEST CALDWELL – The 2026 rendition of the Mizuho Americas Open tees off Thursday, and while the scenery has changed, both defending champions, the LPGA’s Jeeno Thitikul and the American Junior Golf Association’s (AJGA) Aphrodite Deng, are back.
Looking back on her win last year, current world No. 2 Thitikul said, “I mean, like last year, I remember hoisting the trophy and then doing some liberty actions from some of the media told me to do.”
Deng, who is No. 2 in the world on the junior side, added about her experience last year, “Yeah, I think it’s good to be back. And last year, I think it was just really fun being able to play with Nelly (Korda) and the whole atmosphere, and I’m excited to be back.”
However, one thing has changed between this year and last year. Due to ongoing renovations at Liberty National Golf Club, this year’s and next year’s Mizuho Americas Open will be contested at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell.
“It’s totally different than Liberty,” Thitikul said, adding, “I don’t know if she (Deng) find it tougher like me or not, but I think the green is definitely tougher than Liberty National for sure.”
Thitikul continued, “One of the caddie when I arrive on Monday, he said it’s can play as a major. I was like, wow, interesting. And then after that, I went to play nine, back nine, with the wind. I was like, I agree. After finishing that, I was like, I agree it can play as a major course for sure. But it’s a good like challenging course that we be able to play.”
Deng concurred, saying, “Yeah, I think it’s really challenging. I think it plays really long for me and the greens are really sloped, so it’s hard to get the ball to stop on the green, yeah.”
However, with both fields stacked with talent, it will not just be the course that will be challenging the defending champions.
While Thitikul will be the highest-ranked golfer in the LPGA field this weekend, as world No.1 Nelly Korda will not be in this year’s field, the LPGA field will consist of six other players in the Rolex World Rankings top-10: No. 4 Charley Hull, No. 5 Hannah Green, No. 6 Miyu Yamashita, No. 8 Ruoning Yin, No. 9 Lydia Ko, and No. 10 Lottie Woad, in addition to 22 major winners. Furthermore, while she has dropped down the world rankings recently, Jin Young Ko, the only player to win an LPGA tournament at Mountain Ridge, the 2021 Founders Cup, and the LPGA record holder for most weeks spent in the top spot in the Rolex Rankings, is also in this year’s field.
On the juniors’ side, the field is not any easier. Deng will be competing against a field that includes 16 of the top-25 and six of the top-10 junior players in the world, along with 22 Rolex Junior All-Americans. Additionally, the Garden State will be well represented on the junior side of the tournament with Deng and Rayee Feng, two Short Hills natives, and Vidhi Lakhawala, a Kendall Park native, all competing in West Caldwell.
However, when it comes to the pressure of defending her title and what she’s looking to accomplish this weekend, Thitikul said, “I think I don’t really have that pressure even before, now, or whatever, other players do,” later adding, “But obviously it’s the time that I really want to be myself more and then just let golf be more than controlling golf. So I think it’s just the time that–sometime things not going your way, but you have to accept it and then moved on.
And, when it comes to what she is looking to do this weekend, Deng said, “Just to have fun and play my own game. Obviously, enjoy the golf course here. I’m excited to play with the pros.”
The 2026 Mizuho Americas Open tees off Thursday morning at Mountain Ridge at 7:15 with Thitikul beginning her title defense at 7:48, and Deng starting her title defense at 9:16. Tickets for the weekend can be purchased by visiting https://mizuhoamericasopen.com/tickets/, or the tournament action can be caught live on the Golf Channel from noon to 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.
