Thai Renuka Suksukont birdied the last three holes on her homeward trip at the front to tally a two-under-par 70 Friday and zoom ahead in the ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters at The Country Club in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
That strong finish gave Suksukont a 139 total and a four-shot spread over compatriots Chonlada Chayanun and Wangchana Poruangrong and Filipino Chihiro Ikeda with one round to go.
Ikeda actually held the lead before tumbling with back-to-back bogeys from No. 6 that pulled her down to a 70 and a 143 total like Chayanun, who carded a bogey-free 68, and Poruangrong, who also fired a 70.
After birdieing the par-5 10th and stringing seven pars, Suksukont bogeyed three of the next four holes to yield the lead. But she recovered, birdieing No. 5 then holing out with three straight birdies.
Despite the big gap, Ikeda promised to give Suksukont and the two other Thais a fight for the $12,000 top purse. —ROY LUARCA