What a finish at the Maybank Championship! We're talking drama, baby!
H.J. Choi was the undisputed leader on the course after 54 holes. With a remarkable 19 under par and a comfortable four-stroke cushion over Yan Liu – and even five over Hannah Green – victory for her seemed all but wrapped up on Sunday. Who would have doubted it?
But, dear golfers, this Sunday was absolutely wild! Two weather delays (the last one even right before the decisive playoff!) and at one point on the back nine, an incredible five-way tie for the lead! The course was practically sizzling with tension.
Amidst this epic chaos? Yamashita. She was eight strokes back when the day started, but she clearly had her own plans. She came out firing and showed what a truly stellar round is all about! Birdies on holes 1, 2, and 5 catapulted her to three under par heading into the back nine. And then? Three more birdies on the first four holes of the back nine! She delivered her final masterpiece on the 16th – and the best part: Yamashita did NOT make A SINGLE BOGEY. What a display of nerves of steel!
Yamashita herself was quite emotional after this triumph: “My putting was excellent, and I holed many birdies,” she recounted. “Yesterday, my game wasn't so good. After the third round, I just practiced hard, and it paid off. I'm very happy about it!” With an impressive 18 under par on the scorecard, it was then a waiting game. Would this comeback truly be enough to clinch the victory?
While Yamashita rolled up the field from behind, H.J. Choi, who had led so dominantly after 54 holes, visibly struggled. Her first birdie didn't come until the 8th, only to then card a painful bogey on three of the next four holes. A 73 was on her card at the end – not a stellar round for a leader who already had victory in sight.
Hannah Green was also right there, and then some! Seven birdies, but also three bogeys, earned her a strong 68. Her last, decisive birdie happened to fall on the 18th – and just like that, she was right in the middle of the playoff drama! Together with Choi and the incredible Yamashita. But before the spectacle could begin, of course, there was another small rain delay. Typical golf, right?
Yamashita later said that she was really frustrated because she couldn't finish the par-5 18th with a birdie in the regular round. But she tried to calm her nerves, listened to music, and waited patiently. And then, when play resumed: BAM! A nerve-wracking 20-foot putt for birdie, and the playoff was history after just one hole. What ice-cold nerves to sink that! Yamashita clinches the victory!
Thus concludes the LPGA's five-week Asian Tour with a
