South Korea’s Choi Hye Jin continued to dominate the leaderboard at the Maybank Championship, extending her lead after a composed round in the sweltering Friday heat at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

Despite a rocky start with a bogey on the first hole, Hye Jin quickly found her rhythm, stringing together birdies that put her at 14-under-par and in sole possession of the lead heading into the weekend.

Since joining the LPGA Tour in 2022, Hye Jin has already made waves, building an impressive résumé on the Korean LPGA (KLPGA) with double-digit wins before turning her focus to the LPGA stage.

“Bogeying the first hole wasn’t ideal, but I tried to stay steady and keep my pace. The rest of my round went well — I made a lot of birdies, and my shots and putting felt great,” said the 26-year-old. She admitted to feeling some fatigue after a long stretch of tournaments but credited careful eating and hydration for keeping her in top form — a form that has consistently produced top-10 finishes on the world stage.

Trailing five strokes back in joint second at 9-under-par 135 are defending champion Yin Rouning and Australia’s Hannah Green. Rouning, who bogeyed the 11th and 17th holes, stayed steady elsewhere, showing the kind of focus that helped her win last year.

“My first birdie was on number three — I reached the green in two shots and just two-putted. Number four went well too; I read the line perfectly and put it exactly where I wanted. My shots felt solid today,” Rouning said.

Thailand’s world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, a runner-up in both the 2023 and 2024 editions, remains very much in the mix despite describing her second round as “a little frustrating” after missing a few putts. The 22-year-old, a multiple winner on the LPGA and LET, is optimistic about the weekend.

“I missed some putts and made a few easy mistakes, but I’m still under par, so I’m happy. Golf always gives you another chance,” said Jeeno, tied 18th at 138 for two rounds. She plans to attack the pins aggressively over the remaining 36 holes on the soft Kuala Lumpur course.

With Choi Hye Jin holding the lead and a strong chasing pack in hot pursuit, the Maybank Championship promises an exciting showdown as the weekend unfolds.