Kim A-rim, who posted the day's best round to move into sole fourth place. [Herald Sports DB]
Kim A-rim, who posted the day's best round to move into sole fourth place. [Herald Sports DB]

Kim A-rim moved into sole fourth place at the Maybank Championship, the third event of the LPGA Tour's Asian Swing, which carries a $3 million purse.

Playing the second round Friday at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club West Course (par 72) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kim carded eight birdies without a bogey to post the day's best round. At 10 under par through 36 holes with a total of 134, Kim trails leader Yamashita Miyu of Japan by three strokes heading into Saturday's moving day.

Kim opened with birdies on the 1st and 3rd holes, then added three more on Nos. 7, 9 and 11 to move five under for the day. After parring four straight holes, Kim closed with birdies on three consecutive holes — Nos. 16, 17 and 18 — to climb to the top of the leaderboard.

Defending champion Yamashita, who fired a 7-under 65 in the opening round, again went bogey-free Friday with six birdies to reach 13 under par at 131 for the tournament. Yamashita leads joint second-place Julia Lopez Ramirez of Spain and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard of France by two strokes.

Veteran Yang Hee-young shot a bogey-free 67 with five birdies to reach 9 under par at 135, joining Charley Hull of England and Maja Stark of Sweden, among others, in a tie for fifth.

Choi Hye-jin, who has finished runner-up in two consecutive tournaments in recent weeks, carded a 2-under round to sit at 7 under par at 137, tied for 11th alongside Hwang Yu-min. Choi was also runner-up at this event last year, losing to Yamashita in a playoff.


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