Japan's Miyu Yamashita defends Maybank Championship title in Kuala Lumpur

Japan's Miyu Yamashita has defended her title at the LPGA Tour's Maybank Championship. ESPN and The Japan Times both report the win.

It was her fifth title. The Japan Times calls it her fifth LPGA Tour title. ESPN calls it her fifth career title. According to The Japan Times, the five titles came in two seasons on the LPGA Tour.

How the final round unfolded

According to ESPN, the final round was played on Sunday at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in Malaysia.

ESPN reported that Yamashita shot a final-round 68. Her 72-hole total was 22-under 266. She made five birdies and one bogey, at the par-4 9th hole.

Yamashita led after the third round. ESPN said she had led since Friday's second round.

According to ESPN, she won by two strokes over China's Yan Liu. Yan shot 63 in the third round and 68 in the final round. She finished with a total of 268.

Pauline Roussin-Bouchard led after the first round, ESPN reported. The reports do not state her nationality, so this article does not either. She shot 69 on Sunday. She tied for third with Thai amateur Marisa Tojai, who shot 67. Both finished one shot behind Yan, according to ESPN.

Australia's Robyn Choi finished fifth at 17-under 271 after a final-round 69, ESPN reported.

Season and background

According to ESPN, Yamashita, 25, also won last year's edition of the tournament after a three-way playoff. ESPN reported that she won the 2025 Women's Open.

ESPN said this is her second LPGA Tour win of the season. The first came in August at the CPKC Women's Open at Royal Mayfair in Edmonton, Alberta. ESPN described that win as wire-to-wire, by nine strokes.

The LPGA's four-week late-season Asian swing ends next week with the Toto Japan Classic at Omitama, outside Tokyo, according to ESPN.

What is disputed

ESPN's figures for Yan's score to par do not match. ESPN lists Yan at 18-under 268. But Yamashita's 266 total was 22 under, and the margin was two strokes. On those numbers, 268 would be 20 under. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not resolve this.

ESPN also says Yamashita led from the second round "until the final hole". It does not make clear whether she lost or shared the lead at any point.

What is not in the reports

The reports include no comments from Yamashita, Yan or other players. They do not give prize money, field size or the course par. They do not give the exact total or score to par of the players tied for third. Only a summary from The Japan Times was available. Most details rest on ESPN's account alone.

Analysis

A successful title defence adds to a strong season for Yamashita, who has two LPGA Tour wins this year according to ESPN. Back-to-back wins at the same event can point to consistency, but one tournament does not set a trend. Yan Liu's low third round suggests she was in contention late on. Next week's Toto Japan Classic, in Yamashita's home country, closes the Asian swing. It may offer another test of form, though results there cannot be assumed. Most details here come from a single outlet. Fuller accounts could clarify the scoring discrepancy.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.