Hye-Jin Choi increases lead to 5 shots at LPGA Malaysia event

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Hye-Jin Choi tapped in for a birdie after lacking a 20-foot eagle putt on the 18th gap to offer her a 6-under 66 Friday and a five-stroke lead after two rounds of the LPGA Tour’s Maybank Championship.

Choi, who performed on the South Korea staff in final week’s Worldwide Crown, had a 36-hole complete of 14-under 130 on the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Nation membership course. She began the day with a one-stroke lead and it marked the primary time in her profession that she has led after the primary two rounds.

The 26-year-old Choi is winless on the LPGA tour however has 28 profession top-10 finishes. She positioned second on the 2017 U.S. Girls’s Open as a 17-year-old novice.

Choi tried to stay in a constructive state of mind regardless of a bogey on her first gap.

“I attempted to maintain the religion and play regular,” Choi mentioned. “So I made plenty of birdies right this moment and my photographs and placing was all good.”

Defending champion Yin Ruoning shot 67 and moved up 19 locations and into second place. She was tied with Hannah Inexperienced, a member of the profitable Australia staff on the Worldwide Crown final weekend, who shot 69 Friday.

Inexperienced mentioned she enjoys enjoying in Malaysia, which is just a six-hour flight from her dwelling in Perth, Western Australia.

“It is nearly like my dwelling occasion,” Inexperienced mentioned. “I additionally name this one other dwelling occasion.”

New Zealander Lydia Ko, who performed on a composite World lineup within the staff occasion in South Korea, had a 70 within the second spherical and was in a gaggle tied for fourth, six strokes behind Choi.

“I used to be fairly fatigued coming into this week,” Ko mentioned. “Simply been making an attempt to remain cool and hold my vitality ranges up.”

World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul shot 70 and was eight photographs off the lead. Brooke Henderson had a second consecutive 70 and was 10 strokes behind Choi.

Thitikul, the one a number of winner on the LPGA Tour this yr after profitable the Mizuho Americas Open in Could and in Shanghai almost three weeks in the past, has completed runner-up the final two occasions she has performed in Malaysia.

Subsequent week, the LPGA ends its five-week Asian swing with the Japan Traditional at Shiga.