Jasmine Suwannapura holds on to lead

Maybank Championship R2

Jasmine Suwannapura held on to her lead at the inaugural Maybank Championship, shooting 3-under on a hot and humid Friday at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. After shooting a career-low, 9-under round on Thursday, the Thai player had to fight back from an early deficit on Friday to keep her place at the top of the leaderboard. She bogeyed the first and third holes to start the day, but didn’t let the early mistakes impact the rest of her round and ended up shooting another career-low, a 12-under 132 that ties her lowest 36-hole score on the LPGA.

“After the round (Thursday) we got pin position on LPGA website. I was talking with my caddie and I said, ‘they’re probably mad at us yesterday,’ and all the pin position was pretty much in toughest on each hole. You know, all the corner, back left, back right. I’m like, yeah, today will be a tough one,” Suwannapura said. “I think I didn’t really get stress about the two bogeys, and I feel like today especially pin position was not that easy at all. I feel like couple bogeys, it’s makes sense. So just ‘trying my best and hopefully make some birdie coming in. At least make even par today.’ That’s what I think (after the bogeys).”

Young-and-upcomer Rose Zhang of the US sits in second at 11-under after closing with a 68 to follow her Thursday 65. She started the day with six straight pars before a bogey at the 7th but quickly made up for it with three birdies on 8, 9 and 10. On 13 she birdied again but followed it with a double bogey on the par-4 14th, which played as the easiest hole on Thursday but had the tee box pushed significantly back on Friday. Zhang birdied 15 and 16 to make up for the double and then sank a long putt on 18 to take the solo second spot heading into Saturday.

“When you’re out here you really have to be throwing darts and firing on all cylinders. When you make a mistake it’s how you stay composed and come back to it,” said Zhang on coming back from her double. “So I’m really glad how I fought, and I felt like it was a really good way to finish.

Three players sit in a tie for third, including three-time 2023 Tour winner Celine Boutier, who shot the low round of the day with an 8-under 64 highlighted by nine birdies. Peiyun Chien and Hannah Green join Boutier in the third-place spot. Epson Tour graduate Natasha Andrea Oon, who will be playing as a LPGA Tour rookie in 2024, continues to lead the contingent of six Malaysian players in the Maybank Championship. Oon is -3 overall.

Pos.PlayerTo ParR1R2Total
1Jasmine Suwannapura-126369132
2Rose Zhang-116568133
T3Celine Boutier-107064134
T3Peiyun Chien-106569134
T3Hannah Green-106470134
T6A Lim Kim-96966135
T6Gina Kim-96570135
T8Chanettee Wannasaen-87066136
T8Sei Young Kim-86967136
T8Brooke M. Henderson-86967136
T8Ruoning Yin-86868136
T8Gemma Dryburgh-86769136
T8Linn Grant-86571136
T14Danielle Kang-76968137
T14Megan Khang-76770137
T14Gaby Lopez-76671137
T14Emily Kristine Pedersen-76671137
T14Atthaya Thitikul-76671137
T14Grace Kim-76572137
T20Nasa Hataoka-66969138
T20Nelly Korda-66969138
T20Hye-Jin Choi-66870138
T20Ayaka Furue-66672138
T24Madelene Sagstrom-57267139
T24Stephanie Meadow-56970139
T24Jin Young Ko-56970139
T24Xiyu Lin-56970139
T24Lydia Ko-56871139
T24Alexa Pano-56871139
T30Leona Maguire-47169140
T30Hinako Shibuno-47169140
T30Jennifer Kupcho-47070140
T30Olivia Cowan-47070140
T30Minami Katsu-46971140
T30Cheyenne Knight-46971140
T30Yuka Saso-46773140
T37Dottie Ardina-37368141
T37Andrea Lee-37368141
T37Jodi Ewart Shadoff-37269141
T37Yu Liu-37170141
T37Ryann O'Toole-37170141
T37Sarah Schmelzel-37170141
T37Ariya Jutanugarn-37071141
T37Natasha Andrea Oon-37071141
T37Moriya Jutanugarn-37071141
T37Stephanie Kyriacou-37071141
T47Maja Stark-27468142
T47Esther Henseleit-27468142
T47Pajaree Anannarukarn-27369142
T47Albane Valenzuela-27270142
T47Yuna Nishimura-27072142
T47Narin An-27072142
T47Mi Hyang Lee-27072142
T47Perrine Delacour-26973142
T47Maria Fassi-26973142
T47Ashleigh Buhai-26973142
T47Patty Tavatanakit-26874142
T47Allisen Corpuz-26874142
T59Jeneath Wong (a)-17271143
T59Ashley Lau-17271143
T59Eun-Hee Ji-17172143
T59Sarah Kemp-16974143
T59Lauren Coughlin-16974143
T64Linnea StromPar7173144
T64Hae Ran RyuPar6975144
T66Amy Yang+17372145
T66Jenny Shin+17075145
T66Celine Borge+16976145
T69Alyaa Abdulghany+27472146
T69Yan Liu+27274146
T71Matilda Castren+37374147
T71Kelly Tan+37176147
T71Aditi Ashok+36780147
74Nanna Koerstz Madsen+77279151
75Jing Xuen Ng (a)+87478152
T76Ida Ayu Melati+97479153
T76Amanda Tan+97380153
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