Malaysia's Foong Zi Yu is in the driver's seat following the opening round of the ASEAN Templer Park CC 39th Malaysian Ladies Amateur Open on Tuesday.
A late birdie on the 17th hole saw the 2023 Southeast Asia (SEA) Games bronze medallist sign for a one-under 71 to sit on top of the leaderboard at the demanding Templer Park Country Club outside Kuala Lumpur.
One shot off the pace were Thai pair of Kanyarak Pongpithanon and Namo Luangnitikul, as well as Singaporean teenage prodigy Sydnie Ng, who returned identical 72s.
Pre-tournament favourite Wang Xin Yao of Malaysia was in solo fifth following a 73, with Indonesia's Elaine Widjaja a further shot back.
Foong, making her fourth MLAO appearance, was pleased with her effort as the only player to break par in challenging conditions at Templer Park.
After a bogey on the third, she birdied the sixth hole to make the turn on level-par but had to wait until the tail-end of the round to move into red numbers.
"A good day's work, but I had to be patient out there. I was giving myself chances, but couldn't convert them. So I paced myself and managed to snag another birdie late on," said the University of Nevada, Las Vegas sophomore.
"I think it would be important to manage expectations and stay focused on playing my game one shot at a time. I think the only real advantage is that I've played this golf course since my junior days, so I feel very much at home here," she added.
Singapore's Ng was happy to be in the mix but believes she can improve on her decision-making on the course. She was two-under through 14 holes before conceding bogeys on the 15th and 17th holes.
"I think I had the momentum on the front nine, but was a little bit doubtful with my approach distance throughout the round. I need to trust my numbers and commit to the shots in the next two rounds," said the 14-year-old.
Conducted by the Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA), the 39th edition of the prestigious annual championship boasts 80 participants from eight ASEAN nations as well as seven other Asia-Pacific countries.
Holding a C-rating on the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), the championship is recognised as the highest-ranked women's amateur golf tournament in Malaysia.
In conjunction with Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, the Ministry of Youth & Sports Malaysia (KBS), through Perbadanan Padang Golf Subang (PPGS), is proud to collaborate with MALGA in co-organising this year's championship in line with Malaysia's commitment to strengthening regional integration and solidarity through sports.
At its core, the championship aims to foster the spirit of sportsmanship, unity and mutual understanding - values central to ASEAN co-operation.
Templer Park Country Club - a long-time supporter of amateur golf in the country - marks its third and final year as the title sponsor and host venue of the championship.
Leading first round scores (Par-72)
71 - Foong Zi Yu (MAS)
72 - Kanyarak Pongpithanon (THA), Namo Luangnitikul (THA), Sydnie Ng (SGP)
73 - Wang Xin Yao (MAS)
74 - Elaine Widjaja (INA)
75 - Samantha Marie-Albert Dizon (PHI), Juwon Kim (NZL), Guntas Kaur Sandhu (IND), Aaradhya Shetty (IND)
