Saso waxes hot but wobbles to slip to joint 30th; Ardina rebounds

MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso made an early blast and moved on top that however lasted just after a few holes as she faltered in the last 10 and wound up with a 73 instead. He slipped to joint 30th halfway through the Maybank Championship still paced by Thai Jasmine Suwannapura in Malaysia Friday.

At joint 10th after a 69 Thursday, Saso stirred up play early with a birdie-eagle feat from No. 2 as she surged past a slew of others to seize the provisional lead at eight-under. But after a run of pars, the 2021 US Women’s Open champion fumbled with a double bogey on the ninth and never recovered.

She played the backside of the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club at two-over with bogeys on Nos. 12 and 17 as the ICTSI-backed ace finished with 34 putts, seven more than what she had posted in her three-under par effort in the first round of the $3 million event of the LPGA Tour.

With a 140 aggregate, Saso fell by eight shots behind Suwannapura, who stayed at the helm with a 69 for a 132 but a host of others stood just a stroke or two behind, ensuring a wild weekend battle for top honors in the 72-hole championship, the first of two LPGA events in region, the other being the TOTO Classic in Japan next week.

American Rose Zhang carded a 68 to grab solo second at 133 while Frenchwoman Celine Boutier turned in a brilliant 64 to tie Taiwanese Peiyun Chien (69) and Aussie Hannah Green (70) at third at 134.

But while Saso wavered, Dottie Ardina recovered big from an opening 73 with a 68 for a share of 37th at 141.

Ardina, whose campaign is also supported by the world’s leading port operator, came through with a pair of back-to-back birdie feats from Nos. 3 and 17 and her fifth birdie on the 13th negated her lone miscue on No. 7.

She finished with 28 putts after hitting 10 fairways on a subdued 233-yard driving norm while reaching regulation 14 times.

The Tour’s top guns also remained in the hunt with Koreans A Lim Kim and Sei Young Kim, Canada’s Brooke Henderson, Chinese Ruoning Yin, all major champions, matching 136s for a share of sixth with Gina Kim of the US, Swede Linn Grant, Thai Chanettee Wannasaen and Scot Gemma Dryburgh.

A Lim Kim fired a 66, Sei Young Kim and Henderson carded identical 67s, Yin put in a second straight 68, Gina Kim made a 70, Grant shot a 71, Wannasaen fought back with a 66 and Dryburge came up with a 69.

Danielle Kang and Megan Khang, also major winners, led the 137 scorers after 68 and 70, respectively, as they tied Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, Thai Atthaya Thitikul and Denmark's Emily Pedersen, who matched 71s, and Grace Kim of Australia, who carded an even par 72, at 14th place.