Thai ace storms ahead with solid 70

LIPA City , Philippines  —   Yupaporn Kawinpakorn pounced on fellow Thais Saraporn Chamchoi and Onkanok Soisuwan’s early struggle and Marvi Monsalve’s par-game to wrest control with a bogey-free two-under 70 for a two-stroke lead after two rounds of The Women’s Championship at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

While majority fumbled in the windy day at the Robert Trent Jones II-designed layout which features holes inspired by some of the world’s best-known courses, Kawinpakorn kept her poise and gunned down two birdies for a 35-35 card that shoved her past erstwhile leader Chamchoi to the top of the heap at five-under 139.

Chamchoi, who impressed the 40-player field with a 68 Wednesday, hardly recovered from a poor 41 start, finishing with a 39 for an 80 and tumbling to joint 10th with four others at 148, now nine shots off the pace.

But Monsalve stayed in the hunt for a maiden crown with a gutsy 72, joining local amateur LK Go and a charging Chonlada Chayanun, also of Thailand, at 141, while Soisuwan, winner of the last Ladies Philippine Golf Tour leg at Mt. Malarayat, hobbled with a 38 start and finished with a 73 to slip to fifth at 142 heading to the final 18 holes of the P1.5 million championship sponsored by ICTSI.

“I had a good feel of the course today (yesterday),” said Kawinpakorn, winner of the LPGT Beverly Place leg last January and fresh from her China LPGA Tour leg win in Guangdong last week. “The wind was about the same when I was in China last week and it made me think a little of club selection and watch the wind direction.

The veteran campaigner did away with the usual post-round interview and instead took a rest following a string of six tournaments.