Maybank Championship 2025 Betting Tips: Four for glory in Malaysia

There are just four events remaining in the 2025 LPGA season, which ends in Florida in four weeks’ time at the CME Group Tour Championship.

The tour will finish this five-week Asian Swing with the TOTO Japan Classic next week, but first it’s to Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club for the Maybank Championship.

Our LPGA golf expert Jamie Worsley is on-hand with his usual long-read preview for the tournament. Check out his Maybank Championship Betting Tips below, where he has picked out four players each-way ranging from 16/1 to 110/1.

You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest Maybank Championship odds over on betfred.com

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The Maybank Championship was first held in 2023; the first time the LPGA had played in Malaysia since the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in 2017.

That inaugural renewal was a memorable one, as Celine Boutier beat Jeeno Thitikul in an epic nine-hole playoff – the second-longest in LPGA history – after both players finished tied on 21-under-par.

Thitikul again occupied the runner-up spot in 2024, losing out by a shot to good friend Ruoning Yin, who fired a score of -23 for the win in another birdie-fest. The Chinese star returns to defend her title this week.

THE COURSE

The first two editions of the Maybank Championship were held at the West Course at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (also known as TPC Kuala Lumpur), and we're back again this week.

Designed by the Nelson & Haworth design team, the course opened for play in 1991, before undergoing an extensive renovation in 2008 by Parslow & Winter Golf Design. It previously hosted the CIMB Classic on the PGA Tour from 2013-2018 and also held the Malaysia Open on the DP World and Asian Tours in 2006, and again from 2010-2015.

This par-72 course will again play at 6536 yards this week. It possesses 4x par 3s (145-186 yards), 10x par 4s (332-435 yards) and 4x par 5s (469-526 yards).

Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club's West Course is an attractive, hilly, and densely tree-lined layout. It features frequent elevation changes and with water in play on 10 holes, it provides a fun risk/reward challenge.

The undulating fairways are average-wide in width but are made to feel tighter due to smartly-placed, high-lipped bunkers narrowing the landing areas. Thick and wiry bermudagrass rough offers further punishment for wayward drives, though with most fairways straight, keeping the ball in the short grass isn't overly difficult.

The large, sloping bermudagrass greens are elevated and could play at a speedy 12 on the stimp if weather allows. They are strongly protected by deep greenside bunkers and there are severe run-offs littering the perimeters.

With all par 5s reachable in two and several short, attackable par 4s (including the 14^th and 16^th which will be driveable over the course of the week), the West Course is ripe for a birdie-fest in receptive conditions. However, with little rain in the forecast this week, players may find a firmer setup than in previous renewals.

THE WEATHER

This week's field will encounter uncomfortably hot and humid conditions in Malaysia, with temperatures forecast to hit 36°C every day. There is predicted to be a passing thunderstorm, but nothing too severe at present, and for the most part, it will be accompanied by a gentle breeze of around 6mph.

KEY STATS

• Scrambling

The ability to scramble around these putting surfaces has been vital in previous renewals, and with the forecasting of drier conditions and therefore a more firm and fiery course, I expect it will again prove key.

Ruoning Yin played well throughout the bag when winning last season, but it was her field-leading scrambling display that stood out. Meanwhile, 3^rd-place finisher Haeran Ryu ranked 3^rd in this area.

Celine Boutier also ranked 1^st in scrambling on her way to victory in 2023. Runner-up Jeeno Thitikul ranked 3^rd and 5^th-place finisher Peiyun Chien ranked 7^th.

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation

These undulating, elevated greens require a high-class iron game to conquer, and past editions of this event have reflected that.

Ruoning Yin ranked 6^th in approach and 9^th in greens-in-regulation (GIR) to win in 2024. Jeeno Thitikul in 2^nd ranked inside the top 20 in each area, while Haeran Ryu ranked 1^st in approach and 4^th in GIR.

Celine Boutier was top 20 in both of these stats in 2023. Her nearest challenger, Jeeno Thitikul, ranked 2^nd in each, and 3^rd-place finisher Rose Zhang ranked 6^th in approach and 7^th in GIR.

• SG: Putting (bermudagrass)
• Birdie-or-Better %

Quality on the greens has also been advantageous, with winners Ruoning Yin and Celine Boutier ranking 4^th and 7^th respectively. In addition, the low scoring and volume of birdie chances around here plays into the hands of the most prolific birdie-makers.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

HSBC Women's World Championship (Sentosa Golf Club – Tanjong Course)

Sentosa Golf Club's Tanjong Course is a rolling tree-lined venue with wide fairways and large bermudagrass greens. Situated in Singapore, it is played in a similar climate and looks a strong comp for this week.

Notable correlating form:

Celine Boutier:

Maybank (1^st) / HSBC WWC (2^nd)

Jeeno Thitikul:

Maybank (2^nd, 2^nd) / HSBC WWC (2^nd, 4^th)

Hannah Green:

Maybank (6^th) / HSBC WWC (1^st, 2^nd)

Brooke Henderson:

Maybank (6^th, 10^th) / HSBC WWC (2^nd, 3^rd)

Honda LPGA Thailand (Siam Country Club – Old Course)

I'm going to stay in East Asia with the low-scoring Honda LPGA Thailand. It is played at Siam Country Club's Old Course – a layout that possesses strongly bunkered fairways of a similar width, and large, elevated bermudagrass greens.

Notable correlating form:

Celine Boutier:

Maybank (1^st) / Honda LPGA (3^rd, 4^th)

Jeeno Thitikul:

Maybank (2^nd, 2^nd) / Honda LPGA (2^nd, 3^rd, 3^rd)

Maja Stark:

Maybank (4^th) / Honda LPGA (4^th)

Hye Jin Choi:

Maybank (6^th) / Honda LPGA (3^rd)

Brooke Henderson:

Maybank (6^th, 10^th) / Honda LPGA (4^th, 6^th, 7^th)

Arkansas Championship (Pinnacle Country Club)

My last event this week is the Arkansas Championship – a tournament that has developed striking correlating form with the Maybank Championship. Each of these hilly courses have wide fairways, frequent elevation changes, large, speedy greens, and are packed with risk/reward opportunities.

Notable correlating form:

Celine Boutier:

Maybank (1^st) / Arkansas (5^th)

Jeeno Thitikul:

Maybank (2^nd, 2^nd) / Arkansas (1^st)

Jasmine Suwannapura:

Maybank (3^rd) / Arkansas (1^st)

Haeran Ryu:

Maybank (3^rd) / Arkansas (1^st)

THE FIELD

World No. 1 and two-time runner-up in the Maybank Championship Jeeno Thitikul is back in action after winning the Buick LPGA Shanghai three weeks ago. She is one of five top-10 players in action, alongside Lydia Ko (No. 4), Miyu Yamashita (No. 6), defending champion Ruoning Yin (No. 7), and Angel Yin (No. 10).

The winner of the inaugural 2023 edition Celine Boutier will also tee it up; Sei Young Kim, Lottie Woad, and Haeran Ryu add some depth to the field; and Malaysian former No. 2 amateur Mirabel Ting will be hoping to perform in front of this home crowd, making just the third professional start of her career.

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders: Jeeno Thitikul 4/1, Lottie Woad 12/1, Sei Young Kim 12/1, Nasa Hataoka 14/1, Miyu Yamashita 16/1, Akie Iwai 16/1, Hye Jin Choi 16/1

2.5 pts Miyu Yamashita each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 16/1

Japan's Miyu Yamashita has maintained an excellent level of form since she won the Women's Open in commanding fashion back in August. She has one of the strongest short games on tour and with her precise ball-striking ideal for what looks likely to be a firmer golf course, she can go well on debut.

Yamashita had shown promise throughout her rookie season and made good on that in the best possible way, earning that breakthrough major win in Wales. She's played five LPGA events since, placing inside the top 10 on three occasions – finishing 4^th in the Kroger Queen City Championship, 7^th in the FM Championship, and just two starts ago she was 4^th in the Buick LPGA Shanghai.

She is the best putter on tour and also ranks 3^rd in scrambling – a particularly important asset in previous editions. Her precision with the long game is evidenced by rankings of 3^rd in driving accuracy and 20^th in greens-in-regulation. Sitting 15^th in birdie-or-better %, she also has the scoring power needed in Malaysia.

Yamashita lacks course or comp course form, but ticking every box statistically, the hugely talented and in-form major champion looks primed for another strong showing.

1.5 pts Ruoning Yin each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 30/1

Ruoning Yin returned from a 10-week absence to finish a promising 26^th in the Buick LPGA Shanghai three weeks ago. Again displaying positives in last week’s Hanwha International Crown, she looks value to successfully defend her Maybank Championship title this week.

Yin was in fine form at the beginning of major season, finishing 2^nd in the Chevron Championship and 4^th in the U.S. Women’s Open. However, following consecutive missed cuts in the Evian Championship and Women’s Open, she took an extended break to recharge her batteries.

She made her return in the Buick LPGA Shanghai, producing an impressive tee-to-green performance to finish 26^th. Meanwhile, although Team China were eliminated in the Round-Robin section of last week’s International Crown team event, she contributed to each point that they earned over those first three days.

Her long game has been sharp all season, ranking 8^th in approach and 25^th off-the-tee. She’s again scrambling well, ranking 10^th and whilst the putter remains her biggest weakness, she returns to greens on which she ranked 4^th last year.

Yin actually made her debut at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club in 2023, shooting three rounds in the 60s to finish 17^th. She improved on that in 2024, firing rounds of 67-67-66-65 for a one-shot victory, and with her game looking in great shape after her lengthy break, I expect a strong defence from our reigning champion.

1.25 pts Jin Hee Im each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 40/1

As a prolific winner on the KLPGA, Jin Hee Im is a player who I expected to make the grade at this level. It hasn’t quite worked out yet – for all she’s been perfectly solid – but as an excellent scrambler who has made gains in approach of late, this could be the week she finally gets her hands on a solo LPGA title.

Im has been consistent on tour in 2025, missing just three cuts in 23 starts. She recorded two 4^th-place finishes in her first three outings (in the Founders Cup and HSBC Women’s World Championship) and has since recorded two further top-five finishes, the latest of which came five starts ago in the FM Championship.

Although she is still awaiting her first solo win on the LPGA, she did take down the Dow Championship team event alongside compatriot Somi Lee in June. That said, she’ll be eager to show that she has what it takes to get the job done on her own.

She’s a superb scrambler, ranking 21^st last season and is 4^th this. Her ranking of 30^th in putting is another plus and whilst approach play has been her biggest weakness this year, she has gained strokes in this area in each of her last four starts.

Im debuted here last year and after enduring a terrible time over the first two rounds – firing a pair of one-over 73s – she fought back strongly over the weekend, with rounds of 65 and 68 taking her to a 30^th-place finish. In addition, that 4^th-place finish in the HSBC Women’s World Championship at the beginning of the year tells me that she’s capable of being right in contention here come Sunday.

0.75 pts Chanettee Wannasaen each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 110/1

I’m going to finish with a punt on two-time LPGA winner Chanettee Wannasaen. Her results appear underwhelming since she finished 2^nd in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship earlier in the year, but she’s shown promise in each of her last two starts and having performed well on debut here in 2023, we know she likes the course.

Wannasaen has made fantastic progress on the LPGA in the last two seasons, winning titles in 2023 and 2024. She made that natural next step by threatening the top of the leaderboard in a major this season, flying home with a four-under-par round to finish 2^nd to Minjee Lee in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Failing to hit the top 30 in her following seven starts, her following results leave a lot to be desired. However, there have been signs that she’s starting to return to form.

She fired rounds of 63 and 68 to claim the halfway lead two starts ago in the Kroger Queen City Championship, before a disappointing weekend saw her slip to 38^th. The Thai youngster again made an eye-catching start on her next appearance in the BMW Ladies Championship, opening with a seven-under 65 to sit 4^th after round one.

Wannasaen now needs to do it over 72 holes, and as a top-25 tee-to-green performer who finished 13^th on her debut at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club in 2023 – and who has shot seven under-par rounds out of eight at the course in total – this looks like the ideal spot for her to build on what will hopefully be another fast start.

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