Surprise leader at U.S. Women’s Open thinks her rental is haunted

LANCASTER, Pa. — Sleeping on the third-round lead is exhausting sufficient for any professional. Add to it the pressures of a significant championship, and most gamers don’t get a full night time’s relaxation earlier than the largest days of their careers.

Wichanee Meechai falls into each classes after she shot her third straight spherical within the 60s Saturday at Lancaster Country Club to share the 54-lead within the U.S. Women’s Open with Minjee Lee and Andrea Lee at 5 beneath.

But Meechai, who superior by means of qualifying to make it to her fourth U.S. Open look (and first in three years), could also be sleepless for a unique motive Saturday night time. She thinks there may be a ghost in her rental home.

The 31-year-old from Thailand revealed Friday night time after she took the 36-hole lead that she thought her house for the week may be haunted, however up to date reporters Saturday that there was little paranormal exercise the earlier night time.

“I’m not going to say I’m not afraid of it, but I will get along pretty well with the ghost,” Meechai mentioned. “I’m trying not to say anything if I hear something, so I’m just trying to act normal.”

Meechai is a Buddhist and mentioned she does in actual fact imagine in ghosts. In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, when a human dies, they might enter the ghost world after a interval of uncertainty.

It’s one thing Meechai mentioned she’s talked about earlier than, explaining there is one thing in her faith like a shadow world.

Her supervisor even provided to spend the night time with her within the rental home to make her really feel extra comfy, however Meechai declined and mentioned she was simply making an attempt to get together with the potential spirit customer. However, she mentioned she would put on a Buddhist necklace for defense when she goes to sleep.

“You have like a monk or something that you respect and you just put it on your neck, and I put it on my neck when I sleep, so I think it should be fine,” she mentioned.

The World No. 158 has by no means been ready like this earlier than. Meechai’s greatest profession end on the LPGA Tour is a T5 at the 2021 Pure Silk Championship. Aside from a T7 end three weeks in the past at the Cognizant Founders Cup, she hasn’t completed inside the highest 20 in any of her six different begins this season.

But this week in Lancaster, she’s certainly one of simply two golfers to interrupt 70 in all three rounds. So if there is a supernatural spirit occupying her home this week, it may be giving her the sting she must seize her breakthrough victory.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf workforce and not too long ago returned to this system to function head coach. Jack additionally nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Before becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but additionally producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He could be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.