KUALA LUMPUR: Liyana Durisic, who turned professional earlier this week, couldn't have asked for a better start to her career as she qualified for the Maybank Championship, set to take place at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) from Oct 24-27.
Liyana, a recent University of Iowa graduate, carded a solid pair of 73 and 72 to finish the two-day, 36-hole Asean Qualifier at KLGCC's West Course in a tie for third on one-over 145 on Wednesday.
Her top-five finish secured her a spot in the second edition of the US$3 million (RM13.03 million) LPGA Tour showpiece, giving her the opportunity to compete alongside some of the world's best golfers.
The current world top 10 golfers, including world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States and Paris Olympics gold medallist Lydia Ko of New Zealand, are set to headline the 78-player field.
Nur Durriyah Damian, the other Malaysian golfer making the cut, shot rounds of 73 and 74 to clinch the fifth and final spot.
Indonesia's Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri rebounded from a dismal opening 74 with a superb 68 to top the 35-player standings on 142, one stroke ahead of second-placed Chanyanit Wangmahaporn of Thailand (69-74).
Kristina Natalia Yoko made it two Indonesians in the top five, battling to a second-round 77 after a brilliant opening 68.
By qualifying for the October tournament, all qualifiers are guaranteed to earn at least US$5,000 (RM21,700) regardless of their finishing position, as the tournament has no cut.
Liyana, who enjoyed an illustrious amateur career with two US collegiate golf titles, was delighted with her first professional start.
"It's been a really good week. I'm going through a slight swing change at the moment, so I'm really happy with how I performed," said Liyana.
"I'm very excited to have qualified and proud of how far I've come since returning from the US. This is a great start for me, especially having just turned professional.
"It's a major boost, especially as I'll be competing in a PGM event (Toyota Tour) in two weeks. Now that I'm a professional, I'm thrilled about my upcoming journey."
This will be Liyana's second LPGA Tour appearance, following her debut at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in 2017, where she finished 74th out of 78 golfers as an amateur.
With more experience under her belt and now as a professional, Liyana is determined to improve on her previous performance.
"I'm confident I'm a much better golfer now. I'll stick to my game plan, which worked well today, and aim to play well in October," Liyana said.
"It's exciting to compete against the world's best as a professional. I'm looking forward to seeing how I measure up and progressing from there."
Meanwhile, seventh-year professional Durriyah was pleasantly surprised by her unexpected qualification.
"I came into this qualifier with zero expectations, to be honest. I've been struggling all year and haven't made many cuts on the local tour," said Durriyah, a former national No. 1 amateur.
"My goal was simply to par as many holes as possible. I think having modest expectations actually helped me perform better.
"I've played in a few LPGA Tour events here before, so my goal is definitely to improve on those performances this time."
Maybank is expected to offer five additional spots through sponsors' exemptions, with top Malaysian players — Kelly Tan, Ashley Lau and Mirabel Ting likely to be added to the field.
Leading final round scores:
(Malaysian unless stated)
142: Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri (Ina) 74-68;
143: Chayanit Wangmahaporn (Tha) 69-74;
145: Liyana Durisic 73-72, Kristina Natalia Yoko (Ina-am) 68-77;
147: Nur Durriyah Damian 73-74;
148: Geraldine Wong 73-75, Genevieve Ling 72-76, Michelle Koh 72-76.