KUALA LUMPUR: Rookie pro Ashley Lau ended a frustrating debut season on the Epson Tour with a third place at the weather-shortened Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic on Sunday.
Scores of 69 and 68 in the first two rounds saw the 23-year-old from Sarawak finish five shots behind the eventual winner, Yin Xiao Wen of China in Pendleton, Oregon.
Xiao Wen's consecutive rounds of 66 earned her a 12-under 132 aggregate, three shots ahead of American Alan Uriell (69-66).
Malaysia's Natasha Andrea Oon (72-69) was tied for 20th but Alyaa Abdulghany (77-79) missed the cut.
With the air quality index exceeding 330, the organisers cancelled the final round and declared it a 36-hole event.
It was a significant relief for Ashley who had been struggling since the start of the season. She had previously made the cut in only four of her 12 starts, with her best finish being a modest tied-31st at the Twin Bridges Championship.
"This week definitely serves as a confidence booster and proof that things are going in the right direction," said Ashley who rose from No. 128 to No. 62 on the Epson Tour Official Money List.