Miyu Yamashita claimed her second title of the season after her win at the Maybank Championship. She defeated Australia’s Hannah Green and Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi after a birdie on the first playoff hole.
Yamashita entered the final round eight shots behind the leader, Hye-Jin Choi. After three excellent rounds by Choi, she started her round four shots clear of China’s Yan Liu and five shots clear of Green. Choi struggled on Sunday, carding a round of 73 (+1). With the door open for the rest of the field, Yamashita seized her chance and shot a round of 65 (-7) to tie Choi and Green. Neither Green nor Choi could match her birdie, and Yamashita became the second repeat winner on tour this season. She had this to say on her victory in her first playoff on the LPGA Tour.
“It’s my first time on the LPGA Tour, so I was really nervous,” she said. “Every tournament I try to win, and so I’m really happy to win this second time,”
With her victory, Yamashita became the first rookie to win on the LPGA Tour twice in the same season since Jeeno Thitikul in 2022. She is also the first Japanese player to win twice in a season since Nasa Hataoka in 2021.
Hannah Green, whom we highlighted in the Maybank Championship preview, finished T2 this week after losing in the playoff to Yamashita. After her finish of T5 at the BMW Ladies Championship, she appears to be in exceptional form going into the final stretch of the season.
Yamashita earned $450,000 in prize money after her victory and 500 points in the season-long competition Race to CME Globe. She remains in third place in the rankings behind Jeeno Thitikul and Minjee Lee.
The LPGA Tour concludes its Asian swing next week at the TOTO Japan Classic at Seta Golf Course. Rio Takeda looks to defend her title after her win in a playoff last year.
