Saso cools off, trails leader by 9

MANILA, Philippines — Yuka Saso failed to get going on moving day and kissed her record-tying drive goodbye with a second 71, falling nine strokes behind new leader and recent victim Sakura Koiwai in the Golf5 Ladies pro golf tournament in Honshu, Japan yesterday.

Unable to flaunt the form that netted her back-to-back victories in Nagano and Hokkaido, the 19-year-old Fil-Japanese struggled with her long game and iron play at the demanding Mizunami course in Gifu Prefecture. She went one-over at the front for the second straight time and failed to sustain a superb backside start.

With a 142 total for joint 47th, the ICTSI-backed bet barely made the cut as she fell from six shots off erstwhile leader Rumi Yoshiba to nine behind Koiwai, whom the 2018 Asian Games double-gold medalist beat by two for the Nitori Ladies plum last week, heading to the final 18 holes of the Y60 million event.

Unlike Saso, Koiwai kept her run of good form, following up her bogey-free 68 Friday with a 65 behind a blazing backside 30.

The 22-year-old Japanese, who took notice of Saso’s tremendous power during their face-off, grabbed the lead at 11-under 133, two shots ahead of Mamiko Higa, who assembled a 135, also after a 65, while Minami Hiruta carded a 69 for third at 137.

After a solid 65, erstwhile leader Rumi Yoshiba wavered with a rollercoaster four-birdie, five-bogey round for a 73 and tumbled to joint fourth at 138 with seven others, including Earth Mondahmin Cup winner Ayaka Watanabe, who fired a 68.

Eager to rebound from a mediocre finish of eight pars after an eagle on No. 10 for an opening 71, Saso just couldn’t put it all together in an early start, missing birdie chances on the first two par-5s and dropping strokes on Nos. 6 and 8 against a birdie on the seventh.