Former champions Ruoning, Yamashita and Boutier lead charge

In hot form: China’s Yin Ruoning won the Buick LPGA Shanghai title two weeks ago. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Nelly Korda and No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul may be skipping the Asian swing to recover from a long season, but a star-studded international field is still set to battle for the US$3mil (RM12.3mil) purse at the Maybank Championship this week.

With the top two absent, the race for the US$450,000 (RM1.84mil) winner’s cheque is wide open, with several former champions eyeing another title on Malaysian soil.