KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Maja Stark shot a 6-under 66 Friday to take the lead after two rounds of the LPGA Tour’s Maybank Championship, with a 34-year-old American only one stroke behind.
Storms pressured an early cease to play, with about 12 gamers — all of them a number of strokes out of the lead — having to cease their rounds with one or two holes remaining.
Stark had a two-round complete of 12-under 132 on the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Nation Membership course. The Swedish participant’s spherical included 4 consecutive birdies from the tenth via thirteenth holes.
The veteran American was Marina Alex, taking part in in her twentieth event this yr and with two profession wins since becoming a member of the tour in 2013. Alex had the perfect spherical of the day, her 64 Friday transferring her up 24 locations on the leaderboard to second.
Alex was tied with South Korean participant Narin An, who birdied her ultimate gap for a 67.
The American birdied the sixteenth and 18th holes and obtained an enormous bonus when she holed out from the green for an eagle on 17.
“I consider it was 131 [yards], barely downwind,” Alex stated of her 9-iron strategy on 17. “The wind has form of simply been a bit of bit all over right here. I do not know if there’s some storms coming via.
“I assumed it’d come up a bit of bit brief however pitched three or 4 brief and it went in. It was actually powerful to see as a result of I am standing a bit decrease and the inexperienced is a contact elevated. The individuals up by the inexperienced have been fairly pumped about it.”
First-round chief and tour rookie Mao Saigo was a type of affected by the suspension. After taking pictures a gap 63, she was at 1-over Friday with two holes to play and at 8-under.
Defending champion Celine Boutier shot 69 and was additionally at 8-under, 4 strokes behind Stark.
Boutier has been one of many hottest gamers on the Asian swing, with back-to-back top-10 finishes at Shanghai (tied for ninth) two weeks in the past and in South Korea (2nd) final week.
Boutier’s win final yr was something however routine within the event’s first yr. Boutier and Jeeno Thitikul tied for first place at 21-under par, then performed a nine-hole playoff which the French participant received. The playoff tied for the second-longest in LPGA Tour historical past.
Maintaining tempo together with her playoff companion from final yr, Thitikul additionally shot 69 Friday and was degree with Boutier at 8-under.
Hannah Inexperienced, who earned her third victory of 2024 and sixth of her profession final week in South Korea, had a 69 and was at 4-under, eight strokes behind. Brooke Henderson shot 74 Friday and was 2 below.
