KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Maja Stark shot a 6-under 66 on Friday to take the lead after two rounds of the LPGA Tour’s Maybank Championship, just one stroke behind the 34-year-old American.
Storms forced an early stoppage in play, with about 12 players — all several times out of the lead — having to stop their rounds with a hole or two remaining.
Stark had a two-round total of 12-under 132 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club course. The Swedish player’s round includes four consecutive birdies from the 10th to the 13th holes.
The veteran American was Marina Alex, playing in her 20th tournament this year and winning twice since joining the tour in 2013. Alex had the best round of the day, his Friday 64 moving him up 24 places on the leaderboard into second place.
Alex was tied with South Korean player Narin An, who shot a 67 on his final hole.
The American birdied the 16th and 18th holes and got a huge bonus when he drove off the fairway for an eagle on the 17th.
“I believe it was 131 [yards]a little bit of wind,” Alex said of his 9-iron approach at age 17. “The wind has been a little bit everywhere here. I don’t know if there are any storms coming.
“I thought it might come a little short but it came three or four short and it went in. It was really hard to see because I was standing up and the green is a touch high. People up near the green. They were really happy about it.”
First round leader and tour rookie Mao Saigo is one of those affected by the suspension. After shooting an opening 63, he was 1-over on Friday with two holes to play and 8-under.
Defending champion Celine Boutier shot a 69 and was at 8-under, four strokes behind Stark.
Boutier has been one of the hottest players in the Asian swing, with back-to-back top 10 finishes in Shanghai (tied for ninth) two weeks ago and in South Korea (2nd) last week.
Boutier’s win last year was anything but typical in the tournament’s first year. Boutier and Jeeno Thitikul tied for first place at 21-under par, then played a nine-hole playoff that the Frenchman won. The playoff is tied for second longest in LPGA Tour history.
Matching his playoff teammate from last year, Thitikul also shot a 69 on Friday and was tied with Boutier at 8-under.
Hannah Green, who earned her third win of 2024 and sixth of her career last week in South Korea, had a 69 and was 4-under, eight strokes behind. Brooke Henderson shot a 74 on Friday and was 2 under.
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