Gemma Dryburgh fired a 7-under 65 Thursday at the Maybank Classic, positioning herself for a potential second LPGA Tour victory in Asia. The 32-year-old Scot sits just one stroke behind leader Hye-Jin Choi after the opening round at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Dryburgh, whose only LPGA win came in Japan three years ago, capped her round with a seventh birdie on the 18th hole. She’s tied for second with Italy’s Benedetta Moresco.
“It was a very stress-free round,” Dryburgh said.
The hot, humid Malaysian conditions might seem challenging for someone from Scotland, but Dryburgh’s time in New Orleans during her college years at Tulane University prepared her well.
“Yes, it’s very different from Scotland, but living where I do now helped me on a day like today,” she explained. “I like how the greens are kind of similar to where I play in New Orleans, grainy. So it kind of suits my eye.”
Choi’s impressive 8-under 64 included an eagle at the par-5 3rd hole and a closing birdie on 18. The leader credited her recovery skills for the strong start.
“I had a lot of situations which I could make bogeys because of rough and hazard, but I made a lot of good pars,” Choi said.
Seven players share fourth place at 6-under, including Lydia Ko, Hannah Green, Ingrid Lindblad, Arpichaya Yubol and Somi Lee.
Defending champion Ruoning Yin opened with a solid 68, matching world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul’s first-round score. Thitikul, the only multiple winner on tour this year with victories at the Mizuho Americas Open in May and again in Shanghai three weeks ago, has finished runner-up in her last two appearances in Malaysia.
“I think it just kinds of feel like comfortable to play here,” Thitikul said before the tournament began. “The course, the weather, and also the fans seem like second home to me. I feel like it seems like a mini-Thailand.”
This event marks the fourth stop in the LPGA’s five-week Asian swing, following Australia’s victory in the International Crown team event last week in South Korea. The tour wraps up its Asian schedule next week with the Japan Classic at Shiga – the site of Dryburgh’s 2022 victory.
