Roussin-Bouchard Leads Maybank Championship After Opening 64

Pauline Roussin-Bouchard shot an 8 under 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the 2026 Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club's West Course in Malaysia. The French golfer heads into Friday's second round just ahead of a group that includes defending champion Miyu Yamashita.

• The leader: Pauline Roussin-Bouchard shot an 8 under 64 to lead the 2026 Maybank Championship after round one.
• Closest chasers: Sophia Schubert and defending champion Miyu Yamashita are tied for second at 7 under, one shot back.
• Defending champion: Yamashita won the 2025 title at 18 under in a three-way playoff and sits one stroke behind after Thursday's round.
• What's next: Round 2 tees off Friday morning, Malaysia time, with the Asia swing closing at the TOTO Japan Classic (Nov 5 to 8).

First-round leaderboard

The par-72 course, playing to 6,536 yards (5,977m) for a field of 78, produced a tightly packed leaderboard after round one:

• 1. Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (France): 64, 8 under
• T2. Sophia Schubert (USA): 65, 7 under
• T2. Miyu Yamashita (Japan): 65, 7 under
• T4. Perrine Delacour (France): 66, 6 under
• T4. Charley Hull (England): 66, 6 under
• T6. Youmin Hwang (Korea): 67, 5 under
• T6. Julia Lopez Ramirez (Spain): 67, 5 under
• T6. Robyn Choi (Australia): 67, 5 under
• T6. Liyana Durisic (Malaysia): 67, 5 under
• T6. Hye-Jin Choi (Korea): 67, 5 under
• T6. Arpichaya Yubol (Thailand): 67, 5 under

Two French players sit in the top four: Roussin-Bouchard and Delacour, both inside 6 under. Durisic, the Malaysian player at T6, is the home player in that group.

The leader

According to her ESPN results record, Roussin-Bouchard's best finish on tour this year before this week was a tie for third at the HSBC Women's World Championship in February. She has two Ladies European Tour wins, the 2021 Didriksons Skafto Open and the 2023 Aramco Team Series Singapore. The AP's first-round report credited three closing birdies for her lead.

The defending champion's chase

Yamashita returns as the defending champion after winning the 2025 Maybank Championship at 18 under (270), beating Hannah Green and Hye-Jin Choi in a three-way playoff decided by a birdie on the first extra hole. Her 65 on Thursday leaves her one stroke behind Roussin-Bouchard after one round. Yamashita's first LPGA Tour win, and her first major, was the 2025 AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl, where she finished at 11 under (277), two clear of Charley Hull and Minami Katsu. Hull is tied for fourth here. She won again in August at the CPKC Women's Open in Edmonton, 23 under (257) by nine shots, tying the LPGA's 72-hole scoring record; the AP called it her fourth LPGA victory in 13 months. Hye-Jin Choi, who lost that playoff a year ago, is also back in the field this week and sits at T6 after a 67, three shots off the lead.

Tournament history

The Maybank Championship joined the LPGA Tour in 2023 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, making 2026 the fourth edition. Celine Boutier won the inaugural event at 21 under (267), beating Thitikul on the ninth playoff hole. Ruoning Yin won in 2024 at 23 under (265), one shot ahead of Thitikul, setting the tournament scoring record. Two of three editions have gone to a playoff, including Yamashita's in 2025.

The swing and what's next

The Maybank Championship is the third of four stops on the LPGA's Asia swing, following the Buick LPGA Shanghai (Oct 15 to 18) and the BMW Ladies Championship in Korea (Oct 22 to 25). The swing closes with the TOTO Japan Classic (Nov 5 to 8). Round 2 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club tees off Friday morning, Malaysia time. The event also counts toward the LPGA's Race to the CME Globe, worth 500 points for a win here, with the top 60 and ties reaching the CME Group Tour Championship.

What to watch

Roussin-Bouchard's one-shot cushion is thin in a field this bunched, with at least ten players within three shots after round one. Whether Yamashita can close that one-shot gap while defending her title, and whether Hye-Jin Choi can build on contention again after losing that playoff a year ago, are the two storylines carrying into Friday's second round.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the 2026 Maybank Championship being played?

Who is the defending champion, and how did the 2025 title get decided?

What's next on the LPGA's Asia swing after the Maybank Championship?

Sources: LPGA.com leaderboard, ESPN Deportes leaderboard, The Golf News Net field report, ESPN LPGA schedule, Golfpost TOTO Japan Classic 2026, ESPN 2025 Maybank Championship leaderboard, Golf Monthly's 2025 recap, LPGA.com's 2023 Malaysia return announcement, The Golf News Net, 2023, SI.com on the 2023 playoff, AP via Washington Times, 2023, Malay Mail, 2024, The Golf News Net, 2024, AP via KSAT, 2025 Women's Open, AP via Washington Times, 2025 Women's Open, AP via News Tribune, CPKC Women's Open, Adnkronos, CPKC Women's Open, Golf Australia, 2021 Skafto Open, Golf Australia, 2023 Singapore, AP first-round report on LPGA.com, LPGA.com's Race to the CME Globe explainer.

Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, photographed in 2019. Photo: Jacob Sjöman / Klgcc, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.