KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Hye-Jin Choi sank a birdie putt after missing a 20-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole, finishing with a 6-under 66 on Friday, giving him a five-stroke lead after two rounds of the LPGA's Maybank Championship. Choi, who was part of Team South Korea at the International Crown last week, has a 14-under 130 total at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. He began the day with a one-stroke lead, marking the first time in his career he has led after the first two rounds.
The 26-year-old golfer has yet to secure a victory on the LPGA Tour, but she boasts 28 top-ten finishes. In 2017, she finished second at the U.S. Women's Open as a 17-year-old amateur. Choi tried to maintain a positive mindset despite a bogey on her first hole. “I tried to keep the faith and play consistently,” Choi said. “I made a lot of birdies today, and my shots and putts were all good.”
Defending champion Yin Ruoning shot a 67 and climbed 19 places, tying for second with Hannah Green, a member of the Australian team that won the International Crown, who carded a 69 on Friday. Green expressed her enjoyment of playing in Malaysia, which is just a six-hour flight from her home in Perth, Western Australia. “It’s almost like my home event,” Green said. “I also consider it another home event.”
New Zealander Lydia Ko, who was part of a world team at the team event in South Korea, shot a 70 in the second round and is tied for fourth place, six strokes behind Choi. “I was pretty fatigued coming in this week,” Ko said. “I’ve been trying to stay calm and conserve my energy levels.”
World number one Jeeno Thitikul also shot a 70 and is eight strokes behind the leader. Brooke Henderson also carded a 70 and is ten strokes behind Choi. Thitikul, the only player with multiple LPGA Tour victories this year after winning the Mizuho Americas Open in May and in Shanghai nearly three weeks ago, has finished runner-up the last two times she has competed in Malaysia. Next week, the LPGA will conclude its five-week Asian swing with the Japan Classic in Shiga.
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