Ashley Lau and Genevieve Ling returned even-par rounds to lead the Malaysian contingent in joint 41st position after day two of the Maybank Championship.

Faced with blistering and testing conditions at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club's West Course, the pair sit at three-under-par at the halfway mark of the championship.

Overnight leader Hye-Jin Choi extended her advantage with a six-under-par 66 to reach a 14-under-par total, pulling five shots clear of defending champion Ruoning Yin and Australia’s Hannah Green, who share second place on nine-under-par.

Lau, who started on the 10th tee, had an up-and-down day trading birdies and bogeys.

“Putting is usually my bread and butter, so I was getting a little frustrated when they weren’t dropping,” the 2024 Olympian shared.

“My caddie was telling me, head up and look up. Just forget about the last shot and focus on the next,” she added.

For Ling, her short game kept her in contention as she battled through a difficult ball-striking day.

“I wasn’t hitting the ball very well today, so I scrambled pretty good and I was happy with my putting out there,” said Ling.

Rookie professional Mirabel Ting endured a tough round of three-over-par 75, which included four birdies, three bogeys, and two double bogeys. Despite the setback, Ting remained positive about her performance and the lessons to take forward.

“There were some bad mistakes and decision-making out there, but having that streak on the back nine gave me that understanding I’m able to make it out there,” shared Ting.

Two-time Olympian Kelly Tan and domestic tour Order of Merit leader Liyana Durisic returned with rounds of two-over-par 74 and four-over-par 76 respectively. Tan currently sits T55, while Durisic lies T62.

“The course might be set for players to make a lot of birdies out there, but you have to put yourself in position and it’s what we’ll analyze and work towards tomorrow,” said Tan.

Catch all the weekend action and support the local players at the Maybank Championship, continuing through November 2 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.