Friendly rivalry: Yin and Jeeno the golfers to watch at US$3 million Maybank Championship in KL
The Malaysian bank wants to promote and raise the standards of golf in the country
[SINGAPORE] When I interviewed Jeeno Thitikul at the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore back in 2018, she said then that the best decision she had ever made was to pick up golf, instead of tennis, when her father presented her with a choice of sport to play.
After watching both sports on YouTube, she told him that she preferred golf. She was just six when she picked up a golf club for the first time, and she’s not looked back since.
Her big win as a 15-year-old at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Golf Championship at Sentosa’s Tanjong course seven years ago confirmed that belief.
Jeeno had just claimed a dramatic wire-to-wire triumph after a four-way play-off that secured her spots in two of the year’s Major championships.
Now 22, Jeeno continues to make waves on the women’s professional tour as she flies the Thailand flag high on the international stage.
Thailand has always been known for doing well in sports such as football and boxing, especially in Asia. The country has produced some top tennis players in the past too, such as Paradorn Srichaphan and Tamarine Tanasugarn, both of whom were ranked in the top 20 during their successful careers.
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Thai golf has also not gone unnoticed over the years, for many players from the kingdom have made it to the world rankings.
They include Thongchai Jaidee, Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Patty Tavatanakit, all of whom who have secured several major championships.
Their global achievements is ample proof that Jeeno made the right choice. She went on to achieve the world No 1 ranking in 2022, and regained that lofty position in August this year. She is widely considered to be one of the fastest rising stars in golf with 19 professional victories to her name, and counting.
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With such credentials, she is among the star golfers to watch at the US$4 million Maybank Championship, which will be contested at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club from Thursday (Oct 30) to Nov 2.
She will be up against a stellar field, namely defending champion Yin Ruoning, Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko, the 2023 inaugural champion Celine Boutier, and Major winners Grace Kim from Australia and Miyu Yamashita from Japan.
What golf fans are looking out for is the ongoing “friendly rivalry” on the course between Jeeno and Yin. The latter is also one of the hot favourites for the title in the Malaysian capital.
Not long after turning professional at 17, Yin won her first three China LPGA tour events. Since joining the LPGA Tour in 2022, she has picked up five wins, including the Women’s US PGA Championship. She also enjoyed a spell at the top of the world rankings.
Jeeno and Yin are grateful for their mutual support during difficult times on the course, and they back each other whenever the going gets tough, often going out for meals together and hanging out.
Naming themselves “Jin and Ronic”, a reference to one of their coaches’ favourite drinks, they celebrate each other’s victories and take defeat in the right spirit.
At last year’s Olympic Games in Paris, Yin was quoted as saying: “I’m really competitive. We are competitive, but I also want Jeeno to do well. I think it can happen at the same time.”
Strong Malaysian presence
There are five Malaysians in the field at the Maybank Championship after they received invitations from the bank – Mirabel Ting, Ashley Lau, Kelly Tan, Liyana Durisic and Genevieve Ling.
This is in line with the bank’s policy to promote and raise the standard of Malaysian golf.
Maybank has sponsored many of the country’s leading golfers such as Malaysia’s No 1 Gavin Green, a three-time Olympian who is currently competing on the European Tour, and former player Danny Chia, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour and the first golfer from Malaysia to make the cut in a Major at the 2010 British Open.
Maybank’s official involvement with professional golf began back in 2006 with the title sponsorship of the Malaysian Open.
Co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour, the Maybank Malaysian Open brought together the world’s best players to Malaysian shores. The prize money grew constantly from US$1.25 million to reach US$3 million for the 2015 edition.
A year later in 2016, Maybank decided to broaden the scope of its marquee event and make it South-east Asian-centric in tandem with the bank’s growing regional presence.
Working with the European Tour and Asian Tour as well as relevant national bodies, the Maybank Championship for men was born. In four highly successful stagings of the US$3 million event, Malaysian golf fams were treated to world-class golf and next-level spectator engagement.
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