KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Maja Stark delivered an impressive performance by carding a 6-under 66 on Friday, positioning herself at the top of the leaderboard after two rounds in the Maybank Championship on the LPGA Tour. An experienced American player, at 34 years old, closely trails her by a single stroke.
Inclement weather played a role in the day’s proceedings, leading to an early suspension of play for approximately 12 players, who were left with one or two holes to complete, all significantly off the pace of the leaders.
Stark’s remarkable play has her totals reaching 12-under 132 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. The Swedish golfer’s round was highlighted by an impressive streak of four consecutive birdies from holes 10 through 13.
Marina Alex, the seasoned American competing in her 20th tournament this season and boasting two career victories since joining the tour in 2013, had a stellar outing. Her remarkable round of 64 catapulted her up 24 spots on the leaderboard to claim second place.
Tied with Alex is South Korean golfer Narin An, who concluded her round with a birdie on the last hole, finishing with a score of 67.
Alex achieved two crucial birdies on holes 16 and 18, and notably had an eagle on hole 17 after an impressive shot from the fairway. “It was about 131 yards, slightly downwind,” Alex recounted regarding her approach on 17 with a 9-iron. “The wind has been unpredictable here; possibly some storms are coming through.”
“I anticipated it might be a bit short, but it pitched a few yards short and rolled in. It was a bit tough to see since I was standing lower, and the green has a slight elevation. The spectators nearby were thrilled,” she added.
Mao Saigo, who led after the first round, faced challenges due to the play suspension. After a stellar first-round score of 63, she struggled to a 1-over par for the day, finishing with a total of 8-under.
Defending champion Celine Boutier recorded a 69, also at 8-under and lying four strokes back from Stark. Boutier has showcased her excellent form during the Asian swing of the tour, having secured back-to-back top-10 finishes—ninth in Shanghai and second in South Korea the previous week.
Last year, Boutier’s win was anything but straightforward; she and teammate Jeeno Thitikul concluded the tournament with a tie at 21-under, eventually facing off in a nine-hole playoff that the French golfer triumphed in—an event that holds its place as one of the longest playoff matches in LPGA Tour history.
Thitikul managed to keep pace with Boutier as she also shot a 69, placing her alongside Boutier at 8-under. Meanwhile, Hannah Green, who recently grabbed her sixth career title in South Korea, managed a round of 69, bringing her to 4-under and eight strokes off the leader. Brooke Henderson added a 74 to her scorecard, finishing at 2-under for the tournament.