Yuka Saso registered a blistering start to move into the top 30 with 4-under 138 at the end of 36 holes in the 2021 LPGA Marathon Classic at the Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio, Saturday morning (Manila time).
The world No. 8 had a rough time the previous day as her scorecard of even-par so her at a share of 65th place alongside fellow Filipinos Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina.
After settling for par in her first hole, Saso picked it up in the next three holes, tackling Nos. 11, 12, and 13 all in one stroke less to go to 3-under.
The 20-year-old hadn’t finished yet. She took care of No. 15 also with a birdie, before she closed out the backside. Saso had back-to-back birdies with four shots each of both par-5 holes No. 17 and 18.
Suddenly, Saso found herself at 6-under and just four away from leader Nasa Hataoka — who had yet to start at that point — and inside the top 10.
However, two bogeys in the seventh and ninth closed out the day for the US Women’s Open champion. They also pushed her back to her 4-under final score.
Pagdanganan, on the other hand, also had a promising start. She went through the backside after Saso’s flight.
After her mishap at No, 13, the 2019 Southeast Asian Games double gold medalist carded three birdies to reach red numbers for the first time this tournament, with 2-under heading into the clubhouse.
Nonetheless, just as Saso did, Pagdanganan found the front side rather testy. She needed one extra shot at both Nos. 5 and 6 for her final card at even par to barely avert another cut.
The same could not be said of Ardina, who ended her tournament after a 2-over for the round and overall, barely two weeks from a rousing finish at the KPMG majors.
Back-to-back bogeys in Nos. 2 and 3 pushed the 27-year-old to 1-over and she carried that into the turn at 35.
Ardina tried to get one back, but instead of going even, she slipped into 2-over after a bogey at No. 16 and could not recover. She eventually settled for pars in her last two holes of her campaign in this Ohio city.
Japan’s Hataoka continued to reign with 12-under, but just to away from solo second placer USA’s Mina Harigae who had 66-66.
Saso will get to start the moving day at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday (9:15 p.m., Manila time) on Tee 1. Meanwhile, Pagdanganan will try to break through with a start at the backside at 10:27 a.m. (10:27 p.m.).
