Irons, putting woes slow down Saso; Yin takes charge, Korda makes move

MANILA, Philippines — Yuka Saso checked an alarming backside slide with a late birdie, carding a 73 that dropped her 10 places to tied 38th halfway through the CME Group Tour Championship heading to a high-stakes weekend at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

Angel Yin surged ahead with a steady 69, while Nelly Korda roared back into contention with a bogey-free 66. The World No. 1’s impressive performance included an eagle on the par-4 third hole and birdies on the sixth and ninth, helping her recover from a lackluster opening round of 72.

Although she slowed slightly on the back nine, her solid six-under card and 138 propelled her from joint 44th to a share of fourth.

Yin took the 36-hole lead with a two-stroke advantage at 134, overcoming a bogey on the 17th to edge past first-round leader Narin An. After a dazzling 64 on Thursday, An cooled off with a 72, dropping to joint second at 136 alongside Hye Jin Choi, who showed consistency with back-to-back 68s.

Other notable moves included Jeeno Thitikul’s flawless 67, tying her with Korda, Ruoning Yin (68), Amy Yang, and Ayaka Furue, who both fired 69s, for fourth.

Saso’s round started with a bogey on the second hole but briefly regained momentum with a birdie on the fourth. However, the ICTSI-backed shotmaker's struggles around the green, missing seven greens in regulation and going 0-for-2 from bunkers, combined with 31 putts, hindered her score. Despite an impressive driving performance — missing just one fairway — she faltered late, recording three consecutive bogeys from the 14th.

A birdie on the par-5 17th offered a glimmer of hope for a stronger showing in the third round of the $11-million season-ending championship which gathers the Top 60 players after the grueling LPGA season.