Staff WriterThe Maybank Championship has turned into the Hye-Jin Choi show. The 25-year-old Korean star leads wire-to-wire heading into Sunday, rewriting the tournament record books in the process.
Her 54-hole total of 197 not only shattered the Maybank Championship scoring mark but also matched the lowest three-round tally of her LPGA career.
Choi’s dominance this week has been surgical. She’s dropped 19 birdies across three rounds, tied for the most in the field, and made just two bogeys — the sort of control that would make a Swiss watch blush.
If she converts tomorrow, it would mark her first LPGA Tour win, her 123rd career start, and make her the 12th Rolex First-Time Winner of 2025.
“So I’ve been waiting for this really long and I’m going to try my best tomorrow,” said Choi, beaming after her third round. “I think I will feel like I’m making the dream and I just imagine on it. Yeah, I’m just looking for my victory tomorrow.”
It’s been a long time coming. Choi, currently ranked No. 21 in the Rolex Rankings, has already posted eight top-10 finishes this season, including a runner-up at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Her consistency and patience have kept her within striking distance all year — and this weekend, it might finally pay off.
Chasing Pack Refuses to Fold
Just four shots behind sits China’s Yan Liu, who carded a flawless, bogey-free 65 on Saturday to reach 15-under. Liu, who’s yet to crack the top 10 this year, found her rhythm in Malaysia, rolling in seven birdies with the ease of a veteran.
“Well, I just feel very good in my game, from the driver to the putting. Everything feels great,” Liu said. “Golf cannot be perfect, so I just stay patient.”
A win for Liu would make her only the fourth player from China ever to claim an LPGA Tour title, joining the likes of Ruoning Yin and Shanshan Feng. She’s also chasing her first career victory in just her second start at the Maybank Championship — and the fairytale script is still on the table.
Australia’s Hannah Green, meanwhile, sits one shot further back at 14-under. The fiery Aussie produced an eight-birdie round that nearly went up in flames after a double bogey, but she clawed back with trademark grit.
“Feeling like I maybe lost four shots on one hole was kind of annoying,” Green admitted. “Again, to bounce back on the next hole and make a birdie, that was really the momentum that I used for the rest of the round.”
A win here would be her seventh career title and her first since last year’s BMW Ladies Championship — further cementing her as one of the most reliable closers on Tour.
Low Rounds, Hot Hands, and History in Sight
The Maybank Championship has been a showcase of low scoring, with A Lim Kim, Jeeno Thitikul, and Ayaka Furue all tied at 13-under. Kim’s round of 64 — the day’s best — included six birdies and an eagle on the 18th that she described simply as, “Yeah, that’s incredible.”
Defending champion Ruoning Yin remains within sight at 12-under, looking to defend her crown and add another chapter to her already impressive season. Her 79 total putts tie her with Choi for the third-fewest in the field, and with Yin’s explosive scoring potential, no lead is safe.
Local favourite Kelly Tan is the top Malaysian performer at T38, with 11 birdies and six bogeys. The home fans have rallied around her all week, and her steady play has made her one of the tournament’s most-followed figures on-site.
Choi on the Brink of a Breakthrough
If Choi wins the Maybank Championship, she’ll become the 53rd Korean to claim an LPGA title — and the eighth from her country to do so in 2025, underscoring Korea’s continued dominance in women’s golf.
She’d also join Sei Young Kim as back-to-back Korean winners in consecutive weeks, proving that momentum, much like good putting, is contagious.
Choi’s confidence has been building all season. With 19 cuts made from 22 starts, $1.8 million in 2025 earnings, and eight top-10s already under her belt, it’s clear she’s playing with both control and conviction.
Her mental steel — forged through years of near-misses — could finally meet its reward in Kuala Lumpur.
As the humid Malaysian air thickens and the final round looms, one thing’s certain: the Maybank Championship has been Hye-Jin Choi’s stage.
Whether she completes the dream or hands the spotlight to one of her pursuers, Sunday promises to deliver a finish worthy of the records it’s already broken.
