Five rising stars from Thailand have secured their places at the Maybank Championship 2025 after coming through the ASEAN Qualifier at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club’s West Course.

Following two days and 36 holes of competitive golf, Thailand’s 17-year-old amateur Kritchanya Kaopattanaskul claimed top spot with a total of seven under par 137. She followed her opening 67, which included a hole-in-one, with a composed second round of 70.

“I am very happy I have qualified to play in the Maybank Championship on the LPGA Tour. It means a lot to me. It will be my first professional tournament outside of Thailand. I hope I can play as well in October as I did over the past two days in front of my Malaysian friends,” said Kritchanya.

Her victory led to a clean sweep for Thailand in the qualifier, with Achiraya Sriwong, Namo Luangnitikul, Cholcheva Wongras, and Kan Bunnabodee taking the remaining four spots. Sriwong, the highest-ranked amateur in the field at world number 41, carded the day’s lowest round of 67 to finish solo second, two shots behind the winner. Luangnitikul was third with an even-par finish of 144 after a 71, while Wongras and Bunnabodee tied for fourth with rounds of 71 and 72, respectively, to complete the top five qualifiers for the USD 3 million Maybank Championship to be played from October 30 to November 2.

Malaysian duo Ng Jing Xuen, who signed for a 70, and Genevieve Ling, who closed with a 74, finished in a tie for sixth, just one shot short of qualifying.

This year’s ASEAN Qualifier saw a significant increase in participation, with 69 players in the field compared to 35 last year. Maybank’s vision for the event is to provide regional golfers with opportunities to compete at the highest level. In a new initiative, the highest finishing ASEAN Invite at the Maybank Championship will also earn a place in one event on the 2026 Epson Tour, the LPGA’s official development circuit.

Now in its third edition, the Maybank Championship has established itself as one of Asia’s leading golf events with the richest purse in the region at three million US dollars. Past editions have attracted top players, including former and current world number ones Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul, and major champions Grace Kim and Ayaka Furue. France’s Celine Boutier and China’s Ruoning Yin are the two previous winners of the Tiger Trophy.

As the 2025 edition approaches, the five ASEAN qualifiers will join an elite field in Kuala Lumpur to compete against some of the world’s best players, carrying the hopes of the region into one of the most prestigious tournaments on the LPGA calendar. Find out more about the championship here: