GOLF NEWS: Taiwan LPGA / LPGT - ICTSI MANILA GOLF LAIDIES MASTERS

Taiwan LPGA / LPGT

Date: 10-12. Apr. 2019.
Tournament Name: ICTSI MANILA GOLF LAIDIES MASTERS
Course: Manila Golf and Country Club (PAR 71)
Venue: Phillippine
Prize Money: US$100,000
Players: 93.

10. Apr.
Round 1.

leader: SASO YUKA (AM) (PHL)
Score: 67. (-4)

2019 ICTI Manila Golf Ladies Masters: Saso joins hunt as Manila Golf Classic unwraps

Asian Games gold medalist Yuka Saso returns to the scene of her latest triumph to challenge the best of LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) as she toughens up the cast in the rich ICTSI Manila Golf Ladies Classic starting today (Wednesday, April 10) at the Manila Golf Club inside the posh Forbes Park.

Fresh from her joint third place effort in the historic Augusta National Women’s Amateur at the home of the US Masters last Saturday, the Fil-Japanese will be bringing with her a form and confidence boosted by her five-shot triumph to retain the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open crown last February.

The long-hitting 17-year-old Saso also placed second to world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park in the inaugural The Country Club Ladies Invitational last month then flaunted her world class form by rallying from joint 11th with a closing 69 to finish in the top three in Augusta, Georgia.

That makes her one of the marked players in the star-studded $100,000 championship with the likes of TLPGA No. 3 Babe Liu, Thai Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, reigning LPGT Order of Merit champion Princess Superal and fellow Symetra Tour campaigners Mia Piccio and Cyna Rodriguez all ready to dish out their best to stop the talented amateur from coming on top in this seventh leg of the LPGT and third stop of the TLPGA sponsored by ICTSI.

Liu, who placed second in the first LPGT-sanctioned tournament – the Party Golfers Ladies Open – in Taiwan last October, gets the chance to test Saso as they clash in the 10 a.m. flight on No. 1 with Thai veteran Chonlada Chayanun joining the group.

Leaderboard

11. Apr.
Round 2.

Leader: CHANG TZU-YI (AM) (PHL)
Score: 137. (-5)

Tzu-Yi Chang stole the thunder from fellow amateur Yuka Saso, unleashing a scorching frontside windup to shoot a six-under 65 and wrest a one-stroke lead over the Fil-Japanese and Thai pro Arpichaya Yubol in the second round of the ICTSI Manila Golf Ladies Classic at the Manila Golf Club yesterday.

Unable to get going with shaky putting in a 72 start Wednesday, Chang finally put it all together, including her irons and short game, in another sweltering but windy day, birdying four of the last six holes at the front, highlighted by three straight from No. 6.

“Very good. My putting, irons and short game were in place,” said Chang, who used just 26 putts, seven less than what she did in the previous round, to move 18 holes away from snaring the crown with a 137 in the $100,000 event serving as the seventh leg of the seventh season of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

“The course has lots of slopes and you have to be extra careful to avoid getting into trouble,” added the 17-year-old Junior World veteran after churning out a personal-best card on a par-71 layout. “I shot 66 twice in Taiwan but this one is like a 66 because the course is par-71.”

Leaderboard