Filipino top golfer Dottie Ardina earned an invite to the Maybank Championship which marks the comeback of the LPGA to Malaysia after a six-year absence.
The 29-year-old Ardina, whose best showing this season was a T10 finish at Walmart NW Arkansas, will be competing against the best in the sport in the $3 million tournament slated 26 to 29 October.
She is also gunning to earn enough points to bolster her campaign for a full LPGA status in the meet slated at the west course of the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Cristie Kerr won the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in 2017, the last time the tour made a stop in Malaysia.
Now 78 players will compete for one of the largest purses outside the Tour’s major championships. With $3 million up for grabs, come Sunday, the winner will take home not just $450,000 but also get a chance to hoist the Tiger Trophy.
The Maybank Championship is a 72-hole, no-cut event, which will see 68 players from the LPGA Tour compete alongside 10 sponsor invites.
The KLGCC has long been recognized as one of the premier venues in all of Asia since it was built in 1991.
In addition to being a longtime host of the LPGA Tour, the course has also welcomed the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic and DP World Tour’s Maybank Malaysian Open.
Danielle Kang is poised to compete come Thursday, as is Nelly Korda who finished tied for fifth place during her rookie season in 2017. Nelly’s sister, Jessica, won by four strokes in 2015. Lydia Ko, who finished runner-up to Korda, is also in the field via one of the tournament’s sponsor invitations.
The Maybank Championship is one of four events remaining on the LPGA Tour’s schedule and represents a final opportunity for players to make a push in the race for the season’s biggest awards, which will be finalized at the CME Group Tour Championship in November.
Lilia Vu has enjoyed a breakout season in 2023 with three victories to date, including two major championships, making her the frontrunner for the Rolex Player of the Year.
But with Vu taking the week off, it opens the door for chasers like Celine Boutier to make up critical ground in the standings with just a few events remaining in the season.
