18 champs promise a blockbuster tourney
PUBLISHED : 29 Oct 2025 at 05:52
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World No.1 Jeeno Thitikul greets fans at the Maybank Championship 2024.
KUALA LUMPUR: Fans will be in for a thrilling spectacle of world-class golf when the 2025 Maybank Championship returns to the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) this week.
No less than 18 winners from the 2025 LPGA Tour have signed on for the much-anticipated championship, including defending champion and reigning world No.1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.
Jeeno became a six-time LPGA Tour winner and the first two-time tournament winner of the season after she clinching the LPGA Shanghai earlier this month.
Known for her aggressive game and shot-making prowess, the hugely popular Jeeno will return to KLGCC determined to convert consistency into history as she attempts to chase down the title that has narrowly eluded her twice.
Standing in Jeeno’s way will be the two players who denied her the Tiger Trophy in the past two Championships — defending champion Yin Ruoning of China, who won by a shot over Jeeno in 2024, and the inaugural winner, Celine Boutier of France, who clinched the Tiger Trophy in 2023 after an epic nine-hole playoff with the Thai player.
Australian Grace Kim, who claimed her maiden major title and second LPGA victory at this year’s Evian Championship following a dramatic playoff with Jeeno, will be among the contenders and drawcards at KLGCC.
Making a much-anticipated debut in the tournament will be the LPGA Tour’s latest major champion, rising Japanese player Miyu Yamashita. A 13-time winner on the Japan LPGA Tour, Yamashita won the British Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl in early August for her maiden LPGA title.
English sensation Lottie Woad will also be making her first appearance at the event. A former world amateur No.1, Woad stunned the world when she won the Women’s Scottish Open in her first start as a professional this July. She finished third at last week’s Kroger Queen City Championship and will be one of the players to watch.
Japan’s Iwai twins, Akie and Chisato, will no doubt be popular draws as well, having both broken through as Rolex First-Time Winners on the 2025 LPGA Tour.
The depth of this year’s event will be amplified by other global standouts such as Rio Takeda, Angel Yin, and Kim A-Lim — all winners on the 2025 LPGA Tour. Each of these players will bring a distinct pedigree and playing style to KLGCC: from Japanese star Takeda’s rising momentum as a two-time LPGA Tour winner and American Yin’s fearless aggression, to the consistency of Korean talent Kim, who has three LPGA titles, including the 2020 US Women’s Open.
Adding her considerable star power to the field is New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, who, at age 28, has already achieved legendary status as a multiple major champion, Olympic gold medallist and world golf Hall of Famer. Ko will, no doubt, be a major drawcard with her all-round skills and focused determination, attributes which have powered her to 23 LPGA victories in a glittering career.
The Maybank Championship 2025 will also welcome five emerging talents from Thailand who earned their places through the Asean Qualifier in August. Leading the contingent is rising star Kritchanya Kaopattanaskul, who will be joined by fellow amateurs Achiraya Sriwong and Namo Luangnitikul, along with professionals Cholcheva Wongras and Kan Bunnabodee.