South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi stormed to the top of the leaderboard on Day 1 of the US$3 million Maybank Championship, carding a flawless eight-under 64 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club’s West Course, while Italy’s Benedetta Moresco and Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh share second place at seven-under 65; a seven-way tie for fourth at six-under 66 features Lydia Ko, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Miyu Yamashita, Hannah Green, Ingrid Lindblad, Arpichaya Yubol, and Somi Lee.
The 26-year-old South Korean’s bogey-free round featured clutch par saves and pinpoint accuracy, setting a scorching pace in the sweltering heat.
“Overall, it was a really good day today. I had some missed shots, but I did really good par saves, so I had a bogey-free round,” Choi said.
Precision off the tee kept trouble at bay. “If you don’t miss your tee shots, you don’t make bogeys, and you can make a lot of birdies.” Facing rough and hazards, she stayed composed. “I had a lot of situations which I could make bogeys… but I made a lot of good pars.”
Energy management is key in her fifth straight week on tour. “First is to have short practice and long rest… I’m going to eat well and rest well,” she said.
Mindset for the weekend? “I’m just going to think the rest of the rounds are going to be like today. I’m going to start over and not really think about my score and just try my best.”
Trailing by one stroke at seven-under 65 are Italy’s Benedetta Moresco and Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, tied for second. Moresco, in her Asia Swing debut, unleashed nine birdies fuelled by great drives and iron shots.
“Everything was working pretty well. I drove it well off the tee, and that helped, and my iron shots were also pretty close. Then I holed some good putts,” the 24-year-old said.
“I kept telling myself… to keep trusting my feelings. I’ve been working hard, and I have to put trust in that.”
After two tough weeks, momentum flipped. “Golf is going my way now, so I’m really happy,” she said, loving Malaysia’s vibe -“Yellow is my favourite colour, so I love it out here.”
Representing Italy adds pride. “I love playing for the Italian flag… I hope more Italians will come on Tour in the future.”
Dryburgh matched the 65 with a stress-free, bogey-free gem, hitting all 18 greens. “I think I hit every green today, so this always helps. Just didn’t really have any stressful putts out there,” the Scot said. A daring drive on the drivable 16th nearly reached the pin. “I wasn’t actually expecting it to land on the green… It was just perfect, just in the rough.”
New Orleans summers prepped her for the heat. “Thankful the experience in New Orleans helps me… using that this week.” With CME Globe on the line, a strong finish is crucial. “A good finish this week would mean a lot.”
A packed group at six-under 66 shares fourth place – Lydia Ko (New Zealand), Pajaree Anannarukarn (Thailand), Miyu Yamashita (Japan), Hannah Green (Australia), Ingrid Lindblad (Sweden), Arpichaya Yubol (Thailand), and Somi Lee (South Korea).
Ko stayed patient amid the humidity, leaning on family energy. “I felt like I stayed really patient and tried to stay cool out there… keeping your energy levels from hole 1 to 18 is just as important,” she said.
Anannarukarn thrived in familiar tropical climes. “We’re more used to the heat and the tropics here, so I think that’s probably an advantage,” the Thai said. Solid tee balls set up birdies. “I hit good tee shots… gave myself a lot of opportunities, and good approach shots.”
