Jasmine Suwannapura leading in Malaysia

Maybank Championship R1

The first round of the inaugural Maybank Championship began under sunny skies and hot conditions, but the weather turned cloudy and grey in the afternoon leading to a significant delay in play. Fifty-four players completed their first round before lighting in the area suspended play at 1:53 p.m. on Thursday. The first round resumed at 5:41 p.m. and was completed just before the sun set in Malaysia.

Teeing off in the first group of the day off 10 tee, Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura took the lead well before afternoon storms suspended play. The two-time LPGA Tour winner shot a new career-low score of 63 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, recording seven birdies and an eagle in her 9-under, bogey-free round.

“Starting, you know, first couple holes I try to play kind of little safe, on safe side, because I only play six holes for the practice round and get to walk on the back nine on pro-am day on the cart path, so I don’t really know the course,” Suwannapura said. “I feel like with low expectation today then the result come out really good. A lot of putts drop for me, and it’s good feeling to start with a low score this week for sure.”

Starting on the back nine, Suwannapura took the lead early on Thursday after going birdie, eagle, birdie on holes 13-15. She was one of just four players in the field to eagle the drivable par-4 No. 14, taking full advantage of the hole early on. She added another birdie just before the turn on No. 18 to go out in 31 and 5-under. More birdies came on 1, 3 and 5 and she closed out the round with a final birdie on nine to take the clubhouse lead as early as possible. Suwannapura found every fairway on Thursday and nearly every green, which contributed to her success and earned the Thai her third first-round lead or co-lead of her LPGA Tour career.

“I feel like you really need to hit straight here. Every single shot, even par-5, it’s either go for it or layup. It’s very narrow so everything have to be perfect here to have a chance to make birdies here,” she said. “So that’s very challenging for me. I just think I don’t have any expectation, and even though it’s narrow for me and everyone, I just aim it there and just hit it there and just keep playing.

Australia’s Hannah Green finished her round 8-under and solo second just before lightning threats suspended play at 1:53 p.m. A last birdie on No. 18 set Green just ahead of a pack of five players at 7-under.

Sweden’s Linn Grant waited nearly four hours to join the group at 7-under, but she did so with a final birdie on 18 that made the most of the delay.

Pos.PlayerTo ParR1
1Jasmine Suwannapura-963
2Hannah Green-864
T3Linn Grant-765
T3Rose Zhang-765
T3Peiyun Chien-765
T3Gina Kim-765
T3Grace Kim-765
T8Ayaka Furue-666
T8Atthaya Thitikul-666
T8Gaby Lopez-666
T8Emily Kristine Pedersen-666
T12Aditi Ashok-567
T12Yuka Saso-567
T12Megan Khang-567
T12Gemma Dryburgh-567
T16Hye-Jin Choi-468
T16Ruoning Yin-468
T16Allisen Corpuz-468
T16Alexa Pano-468
T16Lydia Ko-468
T16Patty Tavatanakit-468
T22Jin Young Ko-369
T22Nelly Korda-369
T22Xiyu Lin-369
T22Ashleigh Buhai-369
T22Brooke M. Henderson-369
T22Cheyenne Knight-369
T22Perrine Delacour-369
T22Maria Fassi-369
T22Sei Young Kim-369
T22Lauren Coughlin-369
T22A Lim Kim-369
T22Stephanie Meadow-369
T22Sarah Kemp-369
T22Hae Ran Ryu-369
T22Danielle Kang-369
T22Minami Katsu-369
T22Celine Borge-369
T22Nasa Hataoka-369
T40Celine Boutier-270
T40Jennifer Kupcho-270
T40Yuna Nishimura-270
T40Narin An-270
T40Jenny Shin-270
T40Mi Hyang Lee-270
T40Natasha Andrea Oon-270
T40Chanettee Wannasaen-270
T40Ariya Jutanugarn-270
T40Moriya Jutanugarn-270
T40Olivia Cowan-270
T40Stephanie Kyriacou-270
T52Linnea Strom-171
T52Yu Liu-171
T52Leona Maguire-171
T52Ryann O'Toole-171
T52Kelly Tan-171
T52Sarah Schmelzel-171
T52Eun-Hee Ji-171
T52Hinako Shibuno-171
T60Jodi Ewart ShadoffPar72
T60Jeneath Wong (a)Par72
T60Nanna Koerstz MadsenPar72
T60Ashley LauPar72
T60Yan LiuPar72
T60Albane ValenzuelaPar72
T60Madelene SagstromPar72
T67Amy Yang+173
T67Pajaree Anannarukarn+173
T67Dottie Ardina+173
T67Matilda Castren+173
T67Amanda Tan+173
T67Andrea Lee+173
T73Maja Stark+274
T73Ida Ayu Melati+274
T73Esther Henseleit+274
T73Alyaa Abdulghany+274
T73Jing Xuen Ng (a)+274
W/DAngel Yin
Updated: October 27, 2023
Maybank Championship 2023
Date: 26th October - 29th October, 2023
Location: Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Malaysia
Purse: $3,000,000