KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Gemma Dryburgh’s first and only LPGA Tour victory came three years ago in Japan. The 32-year-old Scot fired a 7-under 65 at the Maybank Classic on Thursday to secure his second victory in Asia.
Driberg’s seventh birdie of the day on the 18th hole at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club left her one shot behind Hye-Jin Choi’s first-round lead. Choi shot a 64, including an eagle on the par-5 third hole and a birdie on the 18th hole.
Dryburg tied for second with Benedetta Moresco of Italy.
“It was a very stress-free round,” Dryburg said.
The hot and humid weather was very different from her native Scotland, but her home in the United States — New Orleans, where she attended Tulane University — helped prepare her for the situation.
“It’s very different to Scotland but where I live now helps me on days like this,” Dryburg said. “I like that the greens here are a little similar to where I played in New Orleans, with a grainy texture. So it suits my eyes well.”
The seven players who shot 66 and tied for fourth place included Lydia Ko, Hannah Green, Ingrid Lindblad, Arpichaya Yubol and Somi Lee, all two strokes behind Choi.
Cui said she recovered well Thursday to take the first-round lead.
“I could have made bogeys in a lot of situations because it was rough and dangerous, but I made a lot of good pars,” Choi said.
Defending champion Yin Ruoning shot 68, as did world number one Gino Titicul.
Titicul, the only player on the LPGA Tour this year with multiple wins, has finished runner-up in the past two tournaments in Malaysia after winning the Mizuho Americas Open in May and Shanghai nearly three weeks ago.
“I think I feel comfortable playing here,” she said before her first-round match. “The stadium, the weather and the fans are like a second home to me. I feel like it’s like a mini Thailand.”
Last week, Australia won the International Crown Team Championship in South Korea. Next week, the LPGA will wrap up its five-week Asian tour with the Japan Classic in Shiga, the site of Dryburg’s 2022 championship.
