The heat is on quite literally—and this time, it’s not just on the leaderboard. As the LPGA Maybank Championship continues at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, the weather has gone all out, cranking up the temperature to a steamy 31°C with humidity at a whopping 89%.

How? Well, just ask Ruoning Yin and Hannah Green as the LPGA players have turned ice packs into an essential accessory. The Golf Channel captured the scene, with Yin and Green smiling through the heat, ice packs perched on their heads like crowns. Their photo was accompanied by a perfect caption:

“When it’s 95 and humid in Malaysia, you repurpose the ice packs and break out the mini fans.” So yes, the LPGA stars aren’t injured, just heated up thanks to the weather. The Chinese and Australian stars may come from ‘hot’ countries in general but are not used to the heat. They, after all, reside in America due to the Tour’s schedule.

Amid the scorching weather, though, the heat they’ll truly have their eye on is the heat of battle building up. Assisted by their trusty ice packs, of course!

How is the Maybank Championship going so far?

After the World No. 1 Nelly Korda withdrew due to a neck injury from the tournament, Lydia Ko also remains absent from the field. Despite this, the course of Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club is graced by 14 of the 18 winners of the 2024 season. That’s not it, there are also eight players from the world’s top 10 participating in the championship.

Following the first round at the Maybank Championship, Mao Saigo sits at the top of the leaderboard after a standout performance. Making her 25th start of the season, Saigo has been clinching the victory all through the year. The rookie player holds an impressive record of racking up seven top-10 finishes—including runner-up spots at the CPKC Women’s Open and Buick LPGA Shanghai. This also marks the record for the most top-10 finishes without a win on the LPGA Tour this season.

Despite the scorching heat of Malaysia, 54 players still managed to card under-par rounds. Just one stroke behind Saigo, Haeran Ryu, delivered a bogey-free round with eight birdies, even while being unwell. Meanwhile, Ruixin Liu and Wei-Ling Hsu, competing in the tournament for the first time, shot impressive 65s, tying for the third.

A close competition is brewing, with six players, tied for fifth at six-under par, including 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner Amy Yang, 2023 rookie Minami Katsu, Narin An, Kristen Gillman, and LPGA Tour winner Maja Stark.