KUALA LUMPUR: Mirabel Ting (pic) overcame late putting trouble to enter the final round of the Maybank Championship as the leading Malaysian at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC).
The 21-year-old Sarawakian, who secured her LPGA Tour card with two Epson Tour victories this season alongside the Player and Rookie of the Year awards, produced solid iron play before faltering on the greens.
After reaching five-under for the round, Mirabel dropped shots down the stretch to sign for a one-under 71.
She closed the day tied for 43rd with rounds of 75, 68, and 71 for a three-day total of four-under 212, alongside Amanda Doherty of the United States, Chisato Iwai of Japan and Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-ling.
“I was hitting the ball pretty well today. I definitely had some improvement on my iron shots,’’ said Mirabel.
“Some putts went in but I had a couple of three-putts, which haven’t happened to me in a while. I made too many putting mistakes today and that was it.
“I’m a bit frustrated right now but at the end of the day, I’ve already played. It’s done, I’ve signed my scorecard, and there’s nothing more I can do about it.
“I’ll just hit a few putts before going home, get some good rest tonight and be ready tomorrow.”
Mirabel has fond memories of KLGCC, having finished tied for 12th as an amateur in 2024 — the best result by a Malaysian in the tournament’s history.
“Tomorrow is all about staying patient. I want to hit my irons better, find more fairways and hopefully get a few more putts to drop.”
While Mirabel took over as the top Malaysian, compatriot Liyana Durisic fell down the leaderboard after setting the pace among local players across the opening two rounds.
The qualifier, who opened with a five-under 67 on Thursday, struggled with her ball striking and only managed to put in two late birdies.
“It was a rough day today. I started off poorly,” said Liyana after a four-over 76 gave her a three-day total of 216.
“I made more mistakes than I’d like, and a few shots threw me off. I think we miscalculated a couple of yardages, or maybe it was just bad luck.”
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