Maja Stark takes LPGA Malaysia lead; American Alex 1 back

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Maja Stark shot a 6-under 66 Friday to take the lead after two rounds of the LPGA Tour’s Maybank Championship, with a 34-year-old American just one stroke behind.

Storms forced an early stop to play, with about 12 players — all of them several strokes out of the lead — having to stop their rounds with one or two holes remaining.

Stark had a two-round total of 12-under 132 on the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club course. The Swedish player’s round included four consecutive birdies from the 10th through 13th holes.

The veteran American was Marina Alex, playing in her 20th tournament this year and with two career wins since joining the tour in 2013. Alex had the best round of the day, her 64 Friday moving her up 24 places on the leaderboard to second.

Alex was tied with South Korean player Narin An, who birdied her final hole for a 67.

The American birdied the 16th and 18th holes and got a big bonus when she holed out from the fairway for an eagle on 17.

“I believe it was 131 [yards], slightly downwind,” Alex said of her 9-iron approach on 17. “The wind has kind of just been a little bit all over the place here. I don’t know if there is some storms coming through.

“I thought it might come up a little bit short but pitched three or four short and it went in. It was really tough to see because I’m standing a bit lower and the green is a touch elevated. The people up by the green were pretty pumped about it.”

First-round leader and tour rookie Mao Saigo was one of those affected by the suspension. After shooting an opening 63, she was at 1-over Friday with two holes to play and at 8-under.

Defending champion Celine Boutier shot 69 and was also at 8-under, four strokes behind Stark.

Boutier has been one of the hottest players on the Asian swing, with back-to-back top-10 finishes at Shanghai (tied for ninth) two weeks ago and in South Korea (2nd) last week.

Boutier’s win last year was anything but routine in the tournament’s first year. Boutier and Jeeno Thitikul tied for first place at 21-under par, then played a nine-hole playoff which the French player won. The playoff tied for the second-longest in LPGA Tour history.

Keeping pace with her playoff partner from last year, Thitikul also shot 69 Friday and was level with Boutier at 8-under.

Hannah Green, who earned her third victory of 2024 and sixth of her career last week in South Korea, had a 69 and was at 4-under, eight strokes behind. Brooke Henderson shot 74 Friday and was 2 under.