Kuala Lumpur:Japan's Miyu Yamashita successfully defended her Maybank Championship title with a compelling performance at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC). She completed the final round with a four-under 68, securing a two-stroke victory.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Yamashita, ranked fourth in the world, achieved five birdies during the round, on the third, fifth, eighth, 11th, and 18th holes, with her only bogey at the ninth. She finished with a four-day total of 22-under 266, surpassing China's Yan Liu by two strokes.

Yamashita started the final round with a two-stroke lead, having opened the tournament with a seven-under 65 on Thursday. She consistently maintained her form with rounds of six under 66 and five under 67 before concluding with a four under 68. After her win, Yamashita expressed her happiness and mentioned that focusing on each hole contributed to her strong performance.

Yan Liu finished in second place, matching Yamashita's final round score with a four-under 68, culminating in a total of 20-under 268 for the tournament. Liu had a remarkable third round, carding an impressive nine-under 63.

In third place, Thailand's amateur golfer Marisa Tojai and France's Pauline Roussin-Bouchard both completed with 19-under 269. Marisa ended her campaign with a five-under 67 in the final round, while Roussin-Bouchard concluded with a three-under 69.

The Maybank Championship offered a total prize pool of USD3 million (RM12,174,600). Yamashita claimed the first prize of USD450,000 (RM1,826,190), with Yan Liu receiving USD275,721 (RM1,118,930.96) for second place, and Roussin-Bouchard earning USD200,016 (RM811,704.93) for her joint third-place finish.