Malaysia’s young champions Mirabel Ting and Ashley Lau return to KLGCC this October for the Maybank Championship 2025

“This year will be special because I'm returning not as an amateur, but as a professional,” she says. “It’s like a journey coming full circle. That's exciting but it also means the expectations are higher.”

For Lau, Malaysia’s top-ranked player and 2024 Olympian, the Championship has become a familiar proving ground.

Lau’s approach remains refreshingly grounded. In the face of incredible pressure and high expectations, she sticks to what grounds her and builds from there.

“I just told myself to have fun last year,” she says. “Often times, we put so much pressure and expectations on ourselves that we forget to do what we do best, that is to play golf.”

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“Nothing excites me more than playing in front of the home crowd. Of course, that comes with the pressure of performing well. But I believe it’s the kind of pressure that reminds me why this stage matters.”  

Lau’s philosophy is shaped by resilience. I ask: if her golf game were a national flower, what would it be? “Plum blossom—or meihua,” she says. “Plum blossoms bloom in winter. I want to be like that: persevere through hard times and be strong and resilient whilst facing adversity.”

Behind that composure lies rigorous discipline: hours honing technique, physical therapy sessions, cold plunges for muscle recovery, and consistent work on the mental aspects of competition. “There's so much that goes on behind the scenes that people do not see,” Lau notes. “But being consistent in all these things comes in handy in the long run.”

This year's field is formidable. World No 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, defending champion Ruoning Yin from China, Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko, and 2023 winner Celine Boutier from France headline a gathering that represents the elite of women’s golf. For Lau and Ting, playing alongside such company is both challenge and opportunity.

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“Returning to one of the significant places I broke through as an amateur—and now as a professional—I want to show how I’ve grown as an athlete,” Ting says. “I feel the pressure, but even more so the privilege of competing on Malaysian soil in Kuala Lumpur. It’s the tournament I want to win the most in front of the home crowd, yes, but also my late father, grandpa, and grandma who watch over me every day.”

The Maybank Championship 2025 runs from 30 October to 2 November, transforming KLGCC into a celebration that extends beyond sport. 

For those watching Lau and Ting navigate the pressure and privilege of competing before home crowds, the message is clearer still. As Lau puts it: “The dream isn't just mine anymore, it is proof to every Malaysian junior golfer that they can do it too.”

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