US-based Scottish golfer Gemma Dryburgh is a stroke out of the lead at LPGA Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Gemma Dryburgh's first and only LPGA Tour victory came three years ago in Japan. On Thursday the 32-year-old Scottish player shot a 7-under 65 at the Maybank Classic to put herself in position for a second victory in Asia.

Dryburgh's seventh birdie of the day on the 18th hole at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club left her a stroke out of the first-round lead held by Hye-Jin Choi. Choi's 64 included an eagle at the par-five 3rd hole and a birdie on the 18th.

Dryburgh was tied for second with Benedetta Moresco of Italy.

"It was a very stress-free round,” Dryburgh said.

The humid and hot weather was much different from her native Scotland, but her hometown in the United States — New Orleans, where she attended Tulane University — helped prepare her for the conditions.

“Yes, it was very different from Scotland, but living where I do now helped me on a day like today,” Dryburgh said. "I like how the greens are kind of similar to where I play in New Orleans, grainy. So it kind of suits my eye.”

Among the seven players tied for fourth with 66s, two strokes behind Choi, were Lydia Ko, Hannah Green, Ingrid Lindblad, Arpichaya Yubol and Somi Lee.

Choi said she made some good recovery shots Thursday which helped to take the first-round lead.

“I had a lot of situations which I could make bogeys because of rough and hazard, but I made a lot of good pars,” Choi said.

Defending champion Yin Ruoning shot 68, as did world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul.

Thitikul, the only multiple winner on the LPGA Tour this year after winning the Mizuho Americas Open in May and again in Shanghai nearly three weeks ago, has finished runner-up the last two times she has played in Malaysia.

“I think it just kinds of feel like comfortable to play here,” she said ahead of the first round. "The course, the weather, and also the fans seem like second home to me. I feel like it seems like a mini-Thailand."

Last week Australia won the International Crown team event in South Korea. Next week, the LPGA ends its five-week Asian swing with the Japan Classic at Shiga, site of Dryburgh’s win in 2022.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Winners on Australia team from left, Steph Kyriacou, Grace Kim, Minjee Lee, Hannah Green celebrate with Australia flag after winning the LPGA International Crown golf tournament at the New Korea Country Club in Goyang, South Korea, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

From left, Grace Kim, Hannah Green, Minjee Lee and Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia Team celebrate after winning the LPGA International Crown golf tournament at the New Korea Country Club in Goyang, South Korea, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand watches her shot on the third hole during the pool A match against the United States for day two of the LPGA International Crown golf tournament at the New Korea Country Club in Goyang, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/

Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.

Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.

“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”

Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.

About Kuleana Rum Works

Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.

https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/