Florida State standout Mirabel Ting makes her LPGA debut this week on home soil at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A two-time winner already this fall, Ting currently ranks eighth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
“This is my first LPGA event and probably the biggest one in my entire golfing career,” said Ting. “It’s something that it’s at home as well and I’m able to play in front of my friend and family, which is going to mean a lot. Especially my grandfather is coming back up from Miri to come and watch me play this week. So that’s really sweet.”
Ting, one of four Malaysian players in the field, is the highest-ranked Malaysian amateur and the only amateur in the field of 78. The no-cut event will be held at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club’s West Course. This marks the third stop on the LPGA’s fall Asian swing.
“I think this is probably the third time that I played this golf course,” said Ting. “I played the other golf course, the East golf course a lot of times, but I have barely played the West.”
An exceptionally strong ball-striker, Ting spends most of her time at Florida State working on her short game.
“I don’t have any weaknesses on my long game because I strike the ball quite OK,” said Ting when asked about her preparations for this week. “I’m fine from tee to fairway and fairway to green. So it’s just a little bit of missing the greens and making up and downs and keep the putter rolling.”
At last year’s Maybank, Celine Boutier defeated Jeeno Thitikul in a nine-hole playoff, tying the longest playoff in LPGA history. Both players are in the field along with the tour’s most recent winners, Hannah Green (BMW Ladies Championship) and Ruoning Yin (Buick LPGA).