KUALA LUMPUR – Despite facing two early bogeys, Jasmine Suwannapura’s spirits remained high as she maintained her lead at the Maybank Championship after the second round today.
The Thai golfer is happy to be in the lead of the tournament after her early difficulties playing at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
“After I missed a birdie putt on the 18th hole, I didn’t think I would still be in the lead.
“But my coach assured me that I made four, five birdies on the back nine… so, I don’t know, I’m happy to still be the leader,” said Jasmine.
Speaking on the early bogeys, she said it did not stress her much, especially with the course playing more difficult today.
“The pin position was not that easy today, so the bogeys kind of made sense.
“So, I just tried my best and hopefully made some birdies come in – at least make even par.
“The course was absolutely more difficult than yesterday. When I saw the pin position on the LPGA website after yesterday’s round, I talked to my caddie and said, ‘they’re probably mad at us’.
“Every pin position was pretty much in the toughest spot on each hole. I was like, yeah, today will be a tough one. So, I didn’t want to be stressed about it,” said Jasmine.
Rose Zhang of the United States, who is hot on Jasmine’s heels in second place on the leaderboard, echoes Jasmine’s sentiment.
“There were a couple of pin locations that I felt were very tricky, and especially if you don’t place the ball where you need to on the fairway, you know, bogey, double, it’s all in play.
“In general, as the week goes on, everyone is fatigued from the heat and humidity, so that’s a factor too,” said Zhang.
Zhang, a rookie who previously secured a victory at the Mizuho Americas Open, expressed her eagerness at the prospect of winning a second event in her debut season.
“But it’s not really something I think about a lot. I feel like there are a lot of incredible players out there who can put up incredible numbers.
“I’m just taking it step by step and having that game plan, being able to commit to every single shot. If I end up in that position, I’ll be working my hardest,” she said.
Malaysia’s best finisher is Natasha Andrea Oon, who is tied for 37th place.
The third round of the Maybank Championship resumes tomorrow. – October 27, 2023