Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­

Skip to content
Join our Newsletter
  1. Home
  2. Golf

LPGA Tour rookie Mao Saigo of Japan takes 1st-round lead at Malaysian tournament

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — LPGA Tour rookie Mao Saigo birdied six of her first nine holes on Thursday for a 9-under 63 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Maybank Championship.
Canadian Press
286e1550c763393a8e854109215ad8fcdbad272edb63800d3719e737173f568f
Narin An of South Korea lines up a putt on the 2nd green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — LPGA Tour rookie Mao Saigo birdied six of her first nine holes on Thursday for a 9-under 63 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Maybank Championship.

Haeran Ryu of South Korea was a stroke behind while two others were tied for third, two strokes behind the Japanese player at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

“I made a lot of middle-length putts so that's why I played so well,” Saigo said. “There is so much strong up and down play required, so it’s very difficult."

Defending champion Celine Boutier has been one of the hottest players on the Asian swing, with back-to-back top-10 finishes at Shanghai (tied for ninth) two weeks ago and in South Korea (2nd) last week. She shot 67 on Thursday and was tied for 11th.

Boutier’s win last year was anything but routine in the tournament’s first year. Boutier and Jeeno Thitikul tied for first place at 21-under par, then played a nine-hole playoff which the French player won. The playoff tied

Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot 69 Thursday. Hannah Green, who earned and sixth of her career last week in South Korea, had a 71. Lilia Vu shot 74.

___

AP golf:

The Associated Press