South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi extended her dominance with a six-under 66 on Day 2 of the US$3 million Maybank Championship, reaching 14-under 130 to build a commanding five-shot lead at KLGCC’s West Course. Defending champion Ruoning Yin of China fired a five-under 67 for nine-under 135, tying Australia’s Hannah Green (three-under 69 today) in second, as the leaderboard tightened for a weekend showdown in the Malaysian heat.
Hye-Jin Choi shook off an opening bogey to reel off birdies with steady shots and sharp putting, her second straight sub-70 round underlining why she’s the runaway leader.
“From the start, I made a bogey on the first hole, but I tried to keep the faith and play steady. So I made lots of birdies today, and my shots and putting were all good,” Choi said through a translator.
Simplicity fuels her success: “I don’t try to think much and I choose and I just hit it.”
With heat intensifying in her fifth consecutive event, recovery is paramount. “Compared to yesterday, it was hotter today, so I’m going to try to keep my energy by resting a lot and just concentrating on my game,” she said.
She added, “Normally I drink a lot of water on the course… The best thing I’m working on is to eat a lot, and I just keep eating.” Mentally, experience prevails: “If I play lots of tournaments in a row, I lose my energy, too, but I still keep my faith… And I also gained a lot of experience to make good scores.”
Ruoning Yin of China
Ruoning Yin, chasing a title defence, sank four straight birdies on the front nine en route to her 67.
“My first birdie was on No. 3. I reached the green in two shots and so just an easy two-putt birdie,” Yin recalled. A tap-in on 6 with a 7-iron highlighted her precision. Bogeys at 11 (three-putt) and 17 stemmed from lapsed focus. “I lost concentration a little bit. I feel good, every part of my game is getting better every day, especially my putting.”
Crowd love propels her: “I just love to come back to Malaysia to play. The crowd is just amazing, so it’s fortunate to have their support.” To reel in Choi, patience rules: “You just got to be patient and just one shot at a time… I’m just trying to play 5-under every day. If I can shoot lower, that will be great.”
Hannah Green stayed composed for 69, relying on lengthier putts after approach contact faltered. “I putted really solid yesterday and I managed to capitalise. Today I struggled a little bit with getting good contact with my approach shots,” Green said.
She added, “Just trying not to get too ahead of myself.”
Hannah Green of Australia
KLGCC suits her controlled style. “Off the tee, you don’t always have to hit a driver. I’ve been hitting the ball the best I have all year.”
Chasing Choi demands aggression. “A lot of the birdies; I guess being aggressive when you need to be and just focusing on my own golf.”
An eight-way tie at eight-under 136 shares fourth place. Miranda Wang (China), Ayaka Furue (Japan), Yan Liu (China), Linn Grant (Sweden), Arpichaya Yubol (Thailand), Miyu Yamashita (Japan), Lydia Ko (New Zealand), and Benedetta Moresco (Italy) are all poised to pounce if the leader falters over the final 36 holes.
