Saso scores 67, grabs 2-stroke Ladies lead

YUKA Saso fired six birdies on the way to a 5-under-par 67 and a two shot lead over three fellow amateurs at the start yesterday of the P500,000 ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Invitational at the Aoki course in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

Saso, a 14-year-old Fil-Japanese drained those birdies in an 11-hole span from No. 5 to sign for a 33-34 round and ease out front by two over the fancied Princess Superal, Pauline del Rosario and South Korea’s Hwang Min-jeong.

It was an overpowering display by the amateurs right from the get-go with Thailand’s Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang and Chatprapa Siriprakob firing 70s like Kang Ji-won of Korea to be the best-placed pros three shots adrift.

Sarah Ababa shot a 71 and the veteran Jayvie Agojo matched par to be in the mix, with Chihiro Ikeda, Anya Tanpinco and Lovelyn Guioguio all shooting 71s to be six shots behind going into the final two rounds.

“I just had a good read on the greens,” said Saso, who helped the Philippine Team finish third in the Queen Sirikit Cup two weeks ago.

The multititled Superal had a 35-34 effort built around four birdies, while Del Rosario rallied with a 32 coming home with five of her six birdies.

“I feel good and I like where I am now (in the standings),” Superal, a two-time winner on the tour, said.