JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Megan Khang has been making the most of this week at the Mizuho Americas Open, battling through a lingering back injury to post a 36-hole total of 5-under and sit four shots back of Atthaya Thitikul at Liberty National Golf Club after the second round.
Khang hurt her back while moving before The Chevron Championship and has been doing her best to fight through the discomfort in recent weeks on the LPGA Tour. She missed the cut in The Woodlands, Texas, and then finished T47 at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro before missing another cut last week at the Cognizant Founders Cup in Clifton, N.J.
But the ever-upbeat 26-year-old has stayed positive in spite of these recent challenges, and considering she was in pain pretty much every time she stepped into a shot during Thursday’s first round, the fact that Khang is in contention through 36 holes at the Mizuho Americas Open is a testament to her tenacity and resolve.
“I told Jack, I was like, we're going to be out here, going to have to suck it up and deal with it,” said Khang after her Friday 70. “Whether or not it's going to be a good shot, give it our all and really try not to think too much about it. I think my body is already trying to help not injure myself more, so for the most part, it's just not trying to overswing.
“If it comes down to it, we'll hopefully try to hit a choke-down smooth shot. If we happen to need to hit a full shot, it's just sucking it up, and being like, alright, just a good 15-second focus and whatever happens, happens.”
Khang kicked off her week at Liberty National Golf Club with a 3-under 69 in the opening round that saw her card five birdies, including two sets of back-to-back birdies on holes 5, 6, 14 and 15, and two bogeys on the par-5 10th and par-5 13th holes. The second round saw more of the same strong play from Khang, as the LPGA Tour winner made one bogey and three birdies on Friday in Jersey City, N.J., an effort that has her in a tie for seventh alongside seven other players with two rounds to play at Liberty National.
“I feel like even though my back has been bothering me and I've been missing cuts, it's honestly just those few putts that you miss here and there,” said Khang. “I feel like I've been stroking it well. I just haven't been reading the greens as well. Even these greens are pretty tough to read.
“I’m trying to stay positive with myself and tell myself, look, even though we may not be 100%, we're just going to play smart and do what we can, and make the best of it. Because there is really nothing we can do other than just deal with the situation at hand.”
This is Khang’s second start in the Mizuho Americas Open, and thus far, she’s well on her way to improving upon her T27 finish in the inaugural edition of the event in 2023. This is her ninth tournament of the 2024 LPGA Tour season, and despite her recent struggles, the Massachusetts native has earned three top-15 results this year, finishing 11th at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, coming third at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Bradenton Country Club and tying for 13th at the Ford Championship presented by KCC in Arizona.
Khang is currently ranked 15th in both the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and the Olympic Golf Ranking, meaning that at the moment, she is currently qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. But if she were to fall out of the top 15 in the world, the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open champion would miss the Games in August, as countries are only allotted two representatives each unless two or more players from a given country are in the top 15 of the Rolex Rankings.
Qualifying for her first Olympic Games is a fact that has weighed heavily on Khang’s mind this season and is something she’s had to consider when thinking of stepping away from competition to rehab her back. But the LPGA Tour veteran has realized that looking that far into the future is not doing her any favors and Khang is working hard to keep her focus on what’s right in front of her at any given moment, a mindset that she will carry into the weekend at the Mizuho Americas Open as she works to make up the four-shot deficit that stands between her and Thitikul.
“It's hard not to think about Olympics. It's in Paris. I'm 15th right now, which is the exact number that I need to be,” said Khang. “It's there in the back of my mind, but at the same time, with the same mentality with Solheim Cup, if I play well, good things will follow. I was looking at it early in the year, and I probably will admit that I paid a little too much attention to it.
“Now, I'm just going like, hey, let's go back to the mentality of one day at a time, one shot at a time, and whatever happens, happens. Good golf gets rewarded.”
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