Liyana, Mirabel make their mark

Liyana put on a solid showing in Thailand.

Young talents light up Thai and US tours with polished performances

MALAYSIA registered a rare triple double this past week, courtesy of two of its more prolific rising stars, Liyana Durisic and Mirabel Ting.

Across two continents, on two different tours, these bright young talents posted two top 10 finishes to underline the ambition and upward trajectory of the individual quality emerging in the local game.

In Thailand, Liyana followed up her recent triumph at the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tun Ahmad Sarji Trophy with another solid performance – solo third – this time in the Singha NSDF Nakhon Nayok Ladies Championship at Royal Hills Golf Resort & Spa in Hua Hin.

The 24-year-old shot rounds of 71, 72 and 69 for a four-under-par 212 total, finishing five shots behind Thai amateur Achiraya Sriwong, who won with a 207 total. Another Thai player, Onkanok Soisuwan, was runner-up at 209.

Building on the form that secured her win at Saujana, that followed another PGM Tour victory – the Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam (KGPA) Championship – and her maiden global title at the Women’s World Sand Greens Championship in Australia, Liyana’s first half of 2026 has been a strong display of committed and rapidly developing consistency.

Her ball striking has tightened noticeably, and her improved scrambling has added depth to her game, keeping rounds alive when needed. The putter, too, has behaved nicely thus far, and she alluded to that in an interview with TeeUp this week, adding that she was “enjoying” her time on tour, while also noting that a busy month in June lies ahead.

Reflecting on her performance in Hua Hin, she said: “The week felt great. It was a top 10 finish coming off the PGM Tour win at Saujana, so that was inspiring. I felt more comfortable out there, playing with momentum from the past few events.

“The course layout and grass felt very different compared to Malaysia, so I knew adapting quickly was crucial – with just one practice round.

“I just kept focusing on my game plan of keeping the ball in play off the tee, being aggressive with the easier pins and a little safer with the tucked away ones. The goal will always be to get pars and take advantage of the birdie chances when they come along.”

Encouraged by recent improvements across different parts of her game, Liyana added: “My putting was on point this week and I really tried to take advantage of that.

“I was encouraged throughout by how good it felt again to be there playing.

“I really am enjoying myself out there and when I feel good, excited and a little nervous, that’s when I think I tend to play good golf.”

Probed on what was next on her schedule, Liyana said: “I have about three weeks off before starting a four-week stretch with no break: Thailand, then Singapore, back to Thailand and then Penang – so it will be a really busy month.”

Another inspiring display propels Mirabel into the top 15 of the Race for the Card standings. — Courtesy photos

On the United States’ Epson Tour, Mirabel continued her steady climb up the Race for the Card standings – the season long campaign that rewards the top 15 players at the year’s end with automatic qualification to the LPGA Tour proper.

After mustering another top 10 at the Reliance Matrix Championship last Sunday, staged at Spanish Trail Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mirabel moved into 15th place on the Race for the Card table.

In her six starts on the Epson Tour this year, prior to the Copper Rock Championship in Hurricane, Utah, which was due to conclude yesterday, Mirabel’s last four tournaments have all been top 10s, including the ninth place finish last week.

Pleased with her performance, she told TeeUp: “It feels good to have a couple of top 10 finishes and I think what really worked out (at the Reliance Matrix Championship) was hitting lots of fairways, waiting for putts to drop and not worrying too much about the results.”

Acknowledging the momentum from her recent form, she added: “Yes, there’s definitely lots of momentum going into events and I do feel like I’m on the right track with my game.

“It’s the little things that need to be fixed – and overall I think I’m settling into professional golf now.”

Touching on the parts of her game that felt most reliable under pressure, Mirabel said: “Definitely hitting lots of fairways, and having the advantage of hitting it longer helps on the Epson Tour.”

Turning to her schedule, she added: “I’m playing the Copper Rock Championship in Utah this week and most likely will play the full year on the Epson Tour this season.”

If things continue to trend as they have recently, Malaysian fans can look forward to more inspiring displays from both Mirabel and Liyana – even as they compete on different tours across two different continents.