Yuka Saso played a steady game and maintained her place inside the top 15 after carding a 2-under 70 in the third round of the 2021 JLPGA TOTO Japan Classic at the Seta Golf Course North Course in Shiga, Saturday afternoon.
The Fil-Japanese golfer made moves in the previous round with a solid backside performance, but instead, she duplicated her first-round struggles from this end for the day.
Fortunately, Saso registered two birdies from the first nine holes for the final score for the penultimate go-round. The reigning Asian Games individual champion gained a shot from No. 2 before another one four holes after.
The defending US Open winner pushed to a 6-under overall with yet another gained shot from No. 10, but needed an extra hit in the immediate following hole. A birdie, this time from No, 16, was needed to cancel another bogey off No. 13.
Ayaka Furue stormed to snag the lead with bogey-less 4-under saw her up at 13-under 203 overall, two strokes ahead of Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Mone Inami and Momoko Ueda, who both likewise posted flawless marks.
The fourth and final round of the tournament is on Sunday morning. Saso will look to close her JLPGA come back on a high note.
