MANILA, Philippines — Yuka Saso stumbled at the finish despite an early start and tumbled to joint ninth from a lead share with a two-over 74 for a four-under total halfway through the Earth Mondahmin Cup now paced by Mizuka Tanaka at the Camellia Hills Country Club in Chiba, Japan yesterday.
Hounded by shaky putting at the front, the Fil-Japanese dropped her first birdie on No. 11 but bogeyed the par-3 12th and yielded two strokes on the par-4 16th while trying to regain the lost strokes on flubbed birdie bids in the previous three holes.
She also missed another birdie chance on the closing par-5 hole, settling for a 36-38 after a spectacular opening 66 Thursday that netted her a share of the lead with Mayu Hamada and Tsugumi Miyazaki.
Instead, the 2018 Asian Games double-gold medalist slipped to a share of ninth at 140, safely making the cut in her first LPGA of Japan Tour event but now five strokes off Tanaka, who sizzled with five-under 67 for a 135.
Tanaka fired seven birdies against two bogeys in another day of torrid scoring at the par-72 layout to seize a huge three-stroke lead over Ji Hee Lee, who also carded a 67 to tie Ai Suzuki and Ayaka Watanabe at second at 138.
Suzuki actually held on a nine-under card with an improbable par-saving putt from way out on No. 6 but holed out with a triple bogey on the par-3 ninth for a 38-32-70.
Watanabe came through with a 69 spiked by two birdies in the last three holes to stay in contention with Mao Nozawa also firing a 69 for joint fifth at 139 with Momoko Osato and Rumi Yoshiba, who turned in 70 and 72, respectively.
After an impressive bogey-free opening 66 on a late start marred by an hour-long rain delay, Saso looked forward to a more explosive round but while she sustained her form off the mound and produced superb iron game, the two-time Philippine Ladies Open winner lost her touch on the greens, muffing a number of birdie chances, including a four-footer on No. 6.
It was more of the same in the next four holes until she gunned down the elusive birdie on No. 11, only to surrender the stroke on the next and failed to recover strong.
Still, staying in the title hunt should more than fire up Saso heading to the weekend play of the $2.1 million tournament, the first event on the lucrative circuit after a four-month lull from coronavirus pandemic.