Rookie Miyu Yamashita won for the second time on the LPGA Tour, defeating Hannah Green and Hye-Jin Choi in a playoff at the Maybank Championship.
Early on in the day, both Yamashita and Green got hot putters, allowing them to close the big-time lead that Choi came into the final round with. Choi struggled throughout much of the day, but especially around the turn where she had three bogeys in four holes.
After a lengthy delay for weather, Choi did get back into it with a birdie on 16. Green and Yamashita were in rhythm too much though, with Yamashita having seven birdies without a dropped shot, while Green had seven birdies as well, though with three bogeys too.
The three entered the playoff at -18 for the tournament. On the first playoff hole, Yamashita beautifully rolled in a long birdie putt to get her second win of the season.
Yamashita was close to flawless off the tee this week, missing just six fairways over four rounds. In the final round, her play out of the fairway was stronger hitting 16 greens in regulation, and she had just 27 putts.
Yamashita is only the second LPGA Tour player this season with multiple wins, after Jeeno Thitikul. She now ranks second in the Player of the Year race and is the easy frontrunner for Rookie of the Year thanks also to her major championship victory at the AIG Women’s Open.
For Choi, it is heartbreak again. This was her 29th top-10 finish of her career, still with no wins.
