Miyu Yamashita Defends Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Beating Yan Liu by Two Strokes

Miyu Yamashita of Japan defended her Maybank Championship title on Sunday at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She beat Yan Liu of China by two strokes, finishing the 72 holes at 22 under par 266 after a final round 68 on the par 72 West Course.

Yamashita made five birdies in the final round. Her one bogey came at the par 4 ninth. She had led from the second round on Friday until the final hole, and she started Sunday as the third round leader, so the trophy stayed in the hands that held it all weekend.

Liu kept the pressure on to the last putt

Liu also shot a final round 68 and finished second at 20 under par 268. Her third round 63 on Saturday had put her in contention, and Yamashita said the challenge never let up.

"Today was an especially tough round for me," Yamashita said.

"Yan Liu hits the ball with so much power and distance. She was making birdies early and hitting aggressive shots. I felt like I couldn't let my guard down for a single moment until the final putt dropped on the 18th."

The places behind the top two

Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, who led after the first round, shot 69 on Sunday and tied for third with amateur Marisa Tojai of Thailand, who shot 67. The pair finished one shot behind Liu.

Robyn Choi of Australia finished fifth at 17 under par 271 after a final round 69. Kim Ah-rim of South Korea finished seventh at 15 under par 273 after a bogey free final round 68.

A third win of the season

Yamashita, 25, is the 2025 Women's British Open winner and world No. 4. She won the Maybank Championship last year after a three way playoff, which makes this a successful defence of that title rather than a first win at the course.

The win was her third LPGA Tour win of the season, after the Meijer LPGA Classic in June and the CPKC Women's Open in August, and the fifth LPGA Tour victory of her career.

The tournament purse was 3 million dollars and the winner's prize was 450,000 dollars.

Next week the LPGA Tour's late season Asian swing ends with the Toto Japan Classic at Omitama outside Tokyo.