The 2024 LPGA Maybank Championship is near its conclusion, and honestly, it was nothing less than a rollercoaster ride. Ever since the tournament teed off on October 23, the leaderboard has seen a flurry of names rise and fall, with Friday’s second round marking some major moves. While the competition grew intense, it was layered by the challenging weather as a two-hour rain delay interrupted the afternoon rounds.

Maja Stark opened strong with back-to-back rounds of 66, positioning herself as an early favorite. But by the end of Friday, the leaderboard had reshuffled dramatically, with Stark slipping to T5. Now, as the tournament heads into the final stretch, Haeran Ryu and Ruoning Yin top the leaderboard with 15 under after Friday.

This edition of the Maybank Championship has a purse of $3,000,000, out of which, the winner takes home a whopping $450,000 per Golf Monthly. Since the Maybank Championship is a limited-field event, there is no cut after 36 holes. All participants will receive prizes based on their scores.

Below is a breakdown of the prize distribution:

But is it just the title and money they are fighting for? Wait, there is more to it. The winner this week will secure 500 points in the Race to CME Globe standings, a much-needed boost toward qualifying among the top 60 for the season’s final showdown.

The LPGA Tour has made its exciting return to Malaysia for the 2024 Maybank Championship, bringing back memories of last year’s thrilling finish. Who could forget Celine Boutier’s incredible nine-hole playoff against Jeeno Thitikul? It was a nail-biter that tied for the second-longest playoff in LPGA history, and it’s still fresh in the minds of fans.

This year, the competition is just as fierce as a star-studded field battling it out at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. 14 of the 18 winners from the 2024 season are here, including eight players from the world’s top 10. Among the heavy hitters is Amundi Evian Championship winner Ayaka Furue, along with Major champions like Lilia Vu, Ruoning Yin, Jin Young Ko, Yuka Saso, and Brooke Henderson.

Can Haeran Ryu win the 2024 Maybank Championship?

It’s the fourth time this season that Ryu’s recorded a round of 64 or better this year on the LPGA Tour. She kicked things off with a 64 in the third round of the CPKC Women’s Open in late July and followed it up with a career-low 62 during the FM Championship in August. Not to mention, she won her second LPGA title in a playoff with Jin Young Ko at TPC Boston.

She also racked up 11 top-10 finishes this season, with her most recent tie for sixth at the BMW Ladies Championship back in her home country. Three of those top finishes have come in major championships, including a solo fifth at both The Chevron Championship and The Amundi Evian Championship, and a tie for ninth at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

With just a handful of events left on the 2024 LPGA Tour schedule, Haeran Ryu hopes to snag one more victory as she wraps up her second season on the Tour. So, who do you think will clinch the victory this year? Let us know in the comments!