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New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
World No. 2 Mirabel to defend title at TSM Golf Challenge
KUALA LUMPUR: The TSM Golf Challenge, one of the nation's premier junior amateur tournaments, is set to return for its 14th edition from June 16-19 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC), with national No. 1 amateurs Mirabel Ting and Anson Yeo leading the field. For the first time, the tournament will be held biennially, as announced last year. A total of 85 players — 50 boys and 35 girls under the age of 21 — will compete in this invitation-only event. The top 10 finishers in both categories will be awarded academic scholarships worth a combined RM133,000. The previous edition in 2023, also held at KLGCC, saw Mirabel claim the women's title while Marcus Lim emerged as the men's champion. Mirabel, currently home on summer break after a standout year at Florida State University, has confirmed her participation to defend her crown. Marcus, however, will not be returning as he has since turned professional. This will mark Mirabel's first tournament on home soil since the Maybank Championship last October. She enters as the clear favourite, now ranked No. 2 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) — a historic achievement as the highest-ever ranking for a Malaysian golfer, male or female. Mirabel recently added another feather to her cap by becoming the first Asian recipient of the prestigious Annika Award, presented annually to the top female golfer in the NCAA Division I circuit. She captured four collegiate titles during the 2024-25 season and wrapped up the year with a runner-up finish at the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship last month. A successful title defence would also make Mirabel the first player to do so at the TSM Golf Challenge since Galven Green achieved the feat in 2014 and 2015. Held under the tagline "In Search of the Malaysian Tiger", the TSM Golf Challenge has played a key role in shaping Malaysia's top golfing talents. Past champions include Gavin Green, Kelly Tan and Ashley Lau. Gavin and Ashley are currently the national No. 1 professionals, competing on the DP World Tour and Epson Tour respectively, while Kelly held the mantle as Malaysia's sole LPGA Tour representative for nearly a decade until last year. All three have also proudly represented Malaysia at the Olympic Games. "This event is more than a golf tournament — it's a national movement," said Datuk Mustapha Buang, president of the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Charity Golf Foundation.
The Star
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Golfer of the Year award a confidence booster for Mirabel
Malaysia's Mirabel Ting in action during the round 1 at the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC). — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
The Star
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
South Korea Ryu rules with five-shot victory at Black Desert Championship for third career LPGA Tour title
Haeran Ryu of South Korea poses with the trophy after the final round of the Black Desert Championship 2025 at Black Desert Resort on May 04, 2025 in St George, Utah. -- Photo: Sean M. Haffey-Getty Images/LPGA IVINS, Utah: South Korean Haeran Ryu reinforced her status as one of golf's brightest young stars with an emphatic victory at the inaugural Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion, carding a flawless eight-under-par 64 on Sunday to claim her third LPGA Tour title by five shots overGermany's Esther Henseleit and China's Ruoning Yin. Heading into the final round at Black Desert Resort with a two-shot advantage over 2024 Maybank Championship winner Yin, with Henseleit a shot further adrift, Ryu carded the low round of the day for a winning total of 26-under-par 262 (63-67-68-64). Although Henseleit narrowed the gap to one shot at the turn, Ryu pulled away on the back nine with three birdies and an eagle at the par-five 13th for the first wire-to-wire victory of her career. Henseleit's closing 66 was good enough to tie Yin, who shot 67, for runner-up honours on 21-under-par 267. 'Just an amazing week for me, so I feel really excited now. I just wanted to keep playing my golf and just keep focusing on my swing and my putting,' said Ryu, who broke her 72-hole scoring record by three strokes. Ryu had switched putters during The Chevron Championship last week, where she held the 54-hole joint lead with eventual winner Mao Saigo of Japan, but fell back with a closing 76. 'I think I'm a little crazy because I switched putter on a Major week, but my feel was so good. I can just put more trust in my putts,' said Ryu. This is Ryu's third consecutive season with a win on the LPGA Tour. She captured the inaugural FM Championship title last August, defeating compatriot and former Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings number one Jin Young Ko in a playoff. In 2023, Ryu became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, en route to securing the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award. Henseleit was upbeat despite missing out on her maiden LPGA Tour victory. 'I played great on the front nine, probably holed all the good chances and then just couldn't really keep it up. In the end, it was a pretty solid day and I gave it everything, so I'm proud of my performance,' said the two-time Ladies European Tour winner. Yin was also pleased with her overall performance, highlighted by a tournament low 10-under-par 62 in the third round. She was also grouped with Ryu in the final round of the 2024 Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, where the Chinese player triumphed by one shot over Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul, with the Korean a stroke further back in third place. 'I think my game is pretty solid. Even this week I played 70 good holes. I made a triple on the first day and then a double on 16 today. Overall, my game is really solid,' said Yin, who was chasing her sixth LPGA Tour title and first since her Maybank Championship victory. Another Chinese player, Yan Liu, shot a final round 65 to take fourth place on 19-under-par 269, one shot ahead of two-time LPGA winner Rio Takeda of Japan. The LPGA Tour's next stop is the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, where Rolex Rankings number one Nelly Korda is the defending champion. - LPGA TOUR
The Star
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Expect the very best of Asia and South-East Asia to come to the fore as Maybank's RM13mil golf extravaganza is back to excite the fans
In the current LPGA season, Asian players have achieved significant success, with notable wins and top-10 finishes. And expect them to shine again in this year's US$3 million (RM13 million) Maybank Championship at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) from Oct 10-Nov 2. Japan's Mao Saigo, the 2024 LPGA Rookie of the Year, won her first LPGA Tour event and first major championship in a five-way sudden-death playoff at this year's first Major - The Chevron Championships held last month. Last weekend, Thailand superstar woman golfer Jeeno Thitikul secured her first victory of the year and fifth career LPGA title at the Mizuho Americas Open. Other Asian players like Hyo Joo Kim, Ayaka Furue, and Rio Takeda have also shown strong performance, with Hyo Joo Kim moving up the Rolex Rankings after a win. Lydia Ko of New Zealand, a big favourite with the fans here and also the reigning Olympic Games champion, also had a successful season thus far and winning at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore. Expect these top players to be back again in Malaysia for the Maybank Championship and ignite the fairways of KLGCC come October 30. And expect them to be joined by other star golfers from Europe, Australia and the United States. With the record-breaking US$3 million purse, this year's tournament promises four electrifying days of world-class golf, rising stars, and purpose-driven competition - all on the iconic West Course. Now in its third edition, the Maybank Championship has quickly become a defining stop on the LPGA calendar. From Céline Boutier's dramatic nine-hole playoff in 2023 to Ruoning Yin's commanding win in 2024, the Championship has delivered unforgettable moments. Just as importantly, it has shone a spotlight on homegrown South-East Asia talents. Local favourites like Mirabel Ting and Ashley Lau proved last year that our region's next generation isn't just promising, they're ready to take on the best players in the world again. ( Tickets are officially on sale at -- Follow the action: Instagram: @maybankchampionship/ Facebook: Maybank Championship / X: @maybankchampion ) And in the horizon, the Maybank Championship ASEAN Qualifier is also back, and it's calling South-East Asia's most promising golf talents to KLGCC's West Course on 12–13 August 2025. This high-stakes showdown offers an elite field of professionals and top amateurs the chance to earn a direct slot into the Maybank Championship 2025 - which is now recognised as one of the region's most prestigious stops on the LPGA Tour. With five spots up for grabs, the competition is expected to be fierce and career-defining. In previous editions, the Qualifier uncovered standout talent from across the region, proving South-East Asia's depth and readiness to take on the world stage. 2025 is set to raise the bar even higher. In a media statement, Maybank said that the "ASEAN Qualifier is not just a gateway to global golf, it is a platform for aspiration, regional pride, and the next generation of champions.: Player registration is now open. Details and eligibility:
The Star
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Thai star Jeeno jives in Jersey for first crown of the year and fifth LPGA title at Mizuho Americas Open
Low amateur Aphrodite Deng of Canada and tournament winner Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand pose with their trophies after the Mizuho Americas Open 2025 at Liberty National Golf Club on May 11, 2025 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Photo by/ LPGA JERSEY CITY, New Jersey: Thai golfing star Jeeno Thitikul claimed her first win of the year and fifth career LPGA title at the Mizuho Americas Open, showing great poise to triumph by four shots at Liberty National Golf Club on Sunday. Following rounds of 64, 73 and 65, Thitikul led by one shot from France's Celine Boutier heading into the last day. World number one and defending champion Nelly Korda and her fellow American Andrea Lee were a shot further back. The final round saw Thitikul paired with Boutier in a repeat of their epic battle at the 2023 Maybank Championship, when the latter won a nine-hole playoff. The Thai player opened with a birdie and proved unflappable for the rest of the round, carding a bogey-free 69 for a 17-under-par 271 total. Boutier claimed sole runner-up honours on 13-under-par after a final round 72, which included a costly three-putt bogey from 10 feet at the par-four 15th hole. Despite an awkward stance, Thitikul made a glorious par save from a greenside bunker to extend her lead to three shots. The Thai player nailed her third and final birdie of the day at the 17th hole, draining an 18-foot putt to pull further away. Two late bogeys put paid to Korda's title defence as a closing 73 saw her settle for tied fifth place on 11-under-par with compatriot Yealimi Noh (72) and Australian Stephanie Kyriacou (67). Meanwhile, Lee signed off with a 72 to share third place on 12-under-par with Spain's Carlota Ciganda (70). Thitikul has now registered 13 top-10 finishes in her last 15 official starts on the LPGA Tour, dating back to last August and including a second runner-up finish at the Maybank Championship. 'When I was a kid wanting to play on the LPGA Tour, my dad just told me, winning on the LPGA Tour once is good enough. I had no idea I'm going to get this far for sure. I'm just trying to do my part. I'm just trying to improve myself every day,' said Thitikul. 'I know that a lot of putts didn't drop on the front nine today. I was just trying to tell myself, 'be patient, it's coming, it's coming.' That's pretty much what I told myself today,' added the 22-year-old. The tournament was hosted by former LPGA star Michelle Wie West and pairs American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) players with the professionals. Playing with Korda and Lee, New Jersey native Aphrodite Deng won the junior title with a modified Stableford total of 140 points. Following a one-week break, the LPGA Tour heads south for the inaugural Mexico Riviera MayaOpen at Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. - LPGA
