Out of the Rough: Maybank Championship (2025)

The LPGA continues on with its tour around Asia with this week’s Maybank Championship.

Debuted in 2023, now entering its third edition, the Maybank Championship has been hosted at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club in Malaysia each time and will do so again this week.

As golfers continue to jockey for position in the Race to CME Globe standings, there are just three events, including this week, left on the schedule before the end-of-the-season CME Group Tour Championship at the Tiburon Golf Club.

This too is the second-to-last stop in Asia with next week’s TOTO Japan Classic set to put a cap on a near five week stay.

The Field

With many of the world’s best women golfers coming from Asia, this week’s field continues to show its strength.

Headlined by World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, this week’s field also includes Lydia Ko (No. 4,) Miyu Yamashita (No. 6,) Ruoning Yin (No. 7) and Angel Yin (No. 10) as members of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings top-ten. 

Other notable names teeing it up this week include Rio Takeda, Sei Young Kim, Haeran Ryu, Hannah Green, Celine Boutier and Andrea Lee.

Yin comes in as the defending champion, having topped Thitikul by a stroke a season ago to claim her third victory of the 2024 season and her second in three weeks, winning on home soil prior.

Thitikul too was the runner-up during the inaugural playing in 2023, that time losing on the ninth-hole of a sudden death playoff to Boutier. 

The Course

The Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club will play host to this event for the third consecutive season.

This is one of Malaysia’s most popular golf courses.

It plays as a par-72 at 6,536 yards.

The course is known for its pristine landscaping, natural beauty and challenging conditions.

Off-the-tee, golfers will be faced with undulating fairways that are heavily protected by water, lush vegetation and strategically placed bunkers.

Water comes into play on no fewer than thirteen holes this week.

Once the extended list of hazards have been avoided, golfers will then hit onto TifEagle Bermuda greens that offer exceptional speed and consistency.

One of the course's signature holes is the par-three 17th which requires a precise shot over water.

This course too is no stranger to hosting professional golf events, having previously hosted the CIMB Classic of the PGA Tour and the Maybank Malaysia Open of the DP World Tour and Asian Tour. 

The Weather

As can be expected, temperatures will be hot this week in Malaysia. Currently, forecasts project that Thursday and Friday will be 93-degrees as Saturday and Sunday will be 92-degrees. Thursday currently calls for just a ten-percent chance of precipitation, Friday a five-percent chance, Saturday a zero-percent chance and Sunday a 35-percent chance. Winds are set at six miles-per-hour for every day except Saturday which calls for five miles-per-hour winds.

Key Stats

• Total Driving 

• Strokes Gained: Driving (SG: DRIVE)

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Scrambling

• Birdie or Better Percentage

Betting Card

Somi Lee (+2200)

Outside of World No. 1 Thitikul, per my stats-based model, my second favorite to win this week is Somi Lee. Lee is currently 11th on Tour in total driving, 13th in scrambling, 18th in birdie-or-better percentage, 22nd in SG: DRIVE, 26th in SG: APP and 47th in SG: PUTT. She placed tenth last week at the BMW Ladies Championship. Prior to that she placed fourth at the Buick LPGA Shanghai and 14th at the LOTTE Championship. She has not played in this tournament in either of the last two seasons.

Brooke Henderson (+2500)

What really drew me to Henderson this week is her run-of-form at this event and course over the past two seasons. She placed tenth last season and sixth in 2023. She placed 19th last week at the BMW Ladies Championship. Prior to that she placed 28th at the LOTTE Championship, 15th at the FM Championship and won the CPKC Women’s Open. Henderson is currently third on Tour in total driving, 17th in SG: DRIVE, 23rd in scrambling, 30th in birdie-or-better percentage, 64th in SG: PUTT and 86th in SG: APP. 

Lindy Duncan (+6600)

Duncan comes into this week placing seventh last week at the BMW Ladies Championship and seventh at the Buick LPGA Shanghai. She missed the cut at the LOTTE Championship but also placed 19th at the Kroger Queen City Championship. Duncan is currently ninth on Tour in total driving, 25th in SG: PUTT, 28th in birdie-or-better percentage, 40th in SG: DRIVE, 71st in scrambling and 97th in SG: APP. She’ll be making her tournament debut this week. 

Chanettee Wannasaen (+15000)

Wannasaen placed 46th here a season ago and 13th in 2023. She placed 54th last week at the BMW Ladies Championship. Prior to that she placed 38th at the Kroger Queen City Championship. She missed the cut at the FM Championship but also placed 36th at the CPKC Women’s Open. She is currently 30th in scrambling, 33rd in SG: DRIVE, 44th in total driving, 47th in birdie-or-better percentage, 59th in SG: APP and 68th in SG: PUTT.