By: Max Bechtoldt
The Maybank Championship in Malaysia has turned into a showcase for three elite young stars heading into the final round.
From round-to-round, the Maybank Championship has proven to be unpredictable, with a rapidly shifting leaderboard. One that has set up what could be the most fun final round of the LPGA Tour season.
Sharing the lead at -16, two strokes clear of second-round leader Maja Stark, are three of the brightest stars in the world, Jeeno Thitikul, Ruoning Yin and Haeran Ryu.
Thitikul had the best third round of the bunch, showing off her remarkably consisten ball-striking, hitting 14 fairways and 15 greens on her way to a -8 64. Thitikul had an eagle, six birdies and zero bogeys.
Her best friend Ruoning Yin was not to be outdone, notching four birdies in a row on the front, and maintaining on the back to shoot -6. Yin had just 24 putts in the third round, bringing her total to 80 for the week thus far.
Finally, South Korea’s Haeran Ryu didn’t have as spectacular of a round, but still kept a clean scorecard with four front nine birdies. As has become the norm with Ryu, she didn’t have a flaw in her game, combining elite ball striking with strong putting.
The three superstars each have at least one win on the LPGA Tour season, with Yin having two. Both Ryu and Thitikul have at least 10 top-10 finishes in 2024, and each is age 23 or younger.
If you want a peak into the future of women’s golf, the Maybank Championship will be a must watch.
