KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — LPGA Tour rookie Mao Saigo birdied six of her first nine holes on Thursday for a 9-under 63 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Maybank Championship.
Haeran Ryu of South Korea was a stroke behind while two others were tied for third, two strokes behind the Japanese player at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
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Maja Stark of Sweden hits from a fairway at the 2nd fairway during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Yuka Saso of Japan lines up a putt on the 2nd green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Yuka Saso of Japan lines up a putt on the 2nd green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Yuka Saso of Japan, second right in front, walks on the 2nd fairway during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Narin An of South Korea lines up a putt on the 2nd green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Hannah Green of Australia holds the winning trophy during the awards ceremony after winning the LPGA Ladies Championship golf tournament at the Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, South Korea, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Mao Saigo of Japan watches her shot on the 9th fairway at the 9th green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Mao Saigo of Japan watches her shot on the 3th fairway during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
“I made a lot of middle-length putts so that's why I played so well,” Saigo said. “There is so much strong up and down play required, so it’s very difficult."
Defending champion Celine Boutier has been one of the hottest players on the Asian swing, with back-to-back top-10 finishes at Shanghai (tied for ninth) two weeks ago and in South Korea (2nd) last week. She shot 67 on Thursday and was tied for 11th.
Boutier’s win last year was anything but routine in the tournament’s first year. Boutier and Jeeno Thitikul tied for first place at 21-under par, then played a nine-hole playoff which the French player won. The playoff tied for the second-longest in LPGA Tour history.
Brooke Henderson shot 69 Thursday. Hannah Green, who earned her third victory of 2024 and sixth of her career last week in South Korea, had a 71. Lilia Vu shot 74.
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Maja Stark of Sweden hits from a fairway at the 2nd fairway during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Yuka Saso of Japan lines up a putt on the 2nd green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Yuka Saso of Japan lines up a putt on the 2nd green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Yuka Saso of Japan, second right in front, walks on the 2nd fairway during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Narin An of South Korea lines up a putt on the 2nd green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Hannah Green of Australia holds the winning trophy during the awards ceremony after winning the LPGA Ladies Championship golf tournament at the Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, South Korea, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Mao Saigo of Japan watches her shot on the 9th fairway at the 9th green during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Mao Saigo of Japan watches her shot on the 3th fairway during the first round of Maybank LPGA Championship golf tournament at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
