In-form Saso joins chase as Manila Golf Classic unwraps

MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso will not only be fighting off jet lag but also a fired-up pro field ready to take on the red-hot amateur raring to flaunt her form in the $100,000 ICTSI Manila Golf Ladies Classic kicking off Wednesday at the Manila Golf Club inside Forbes Park in Makati City.

Saso was still in flight Monday when the top players from the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) tested the tight, par-17 layout during the pro-am tournament, coming off an impressive joint third place finish in the historic Augusta National Women’s Amateur at the home of the US Masters.

But with hardly a rest and even without the needed practice round, the 17-year-old reigning Asian Games gold medalist remains one of the marked players owing to her current form that also netted her a five-stroke victory in keeping the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open crown here at MGC last February.

The power-hitting shotmaker, priming up for the LPGA Tour Qualifying School later this year, also placed second to world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park in the inaugural The Country Club Ladies Invitational last month then showcased her world class form by rallying from joint 11th with a closing 69 to finish in the top three in Augusta, Georgia.

But she will be as much tested as the fancied players in the star-studded $100,000 championship with the likes of TLPGA No. 3 Babe Liu, Thai Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, reigning LPGT Order of Merit champion Princess Superal and fellow Symetra Tour campaigners Mia Piccio and Cyna Rodriguez vowing to dish out their best to stop the talented amateur from coming on top Friday in this seventh leg of the LPGT and third stop of the TLPGA sponsored by ICTSI.

Liu, runner-up in the first LPGT-sanctioned tournament — the Party Golfers Ladies Open — in Taiwan last October, gets the chance to challenge Saso as they slug it out in the 10 a.m. flight on No. 1 with Thai veteran Chonlada Chayanun.

A flight ahead are Superal, Lin Tzu-Chi of Taiwan and another Thai Chakansim Khamborn while 2017 LPGT OOM winner Pauline del Rosario tees off at 9:40 a.m. against Taiwanese Chen Meng-Chu and Mina Nakayama of Japan.

Mia Piccio is also expected to get into the early mix as the Symetra Tour veteran slugs it out with Thai Thanuttra Boonraksasat, winner of the last LPGT leg at Southwoods and amateur Chang Tzu-Yi of Taiwan while multi-titled Yupaporn Kawinpakorn launches her drive for a follow-up to her Pradera Verde romp last January against Japan’s Miki Yamashita and Weng Liting of Taiwan at 8:40 a.m., also on the first hole.

Still, focus will be on Saso, who has generated so much interest following a series of impressive performances with the event also serving as her final tuneup before facing off the region’s best in the second Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship in Ibaraki, Japan on April 25-28.

Taiwan, including last year’s LPGT/TLPGA Midlands leg winner Ching Huang, has 25 players vying for top honors in the event co-sanctioned by TLPGA and the Philippine Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Empire Golf and Sports and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc., while Thailand, which dominated last year’s LPGT by ruling six of 11 tournaments, has 39 entries in the 93-player field.

Launching their title bids at the backside of the tight, par-71 layout are LPGT leg winners Onkanok Soisuwan, who clashes with Taiwan’s Lee Tai-Ling and Singapore’s Amelia Yong at 7:40 a.m.; Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang, who mixes it up with compatriot Mookharin Ladgratok and Japanese Mimori Hii; and Wannasiri Sirisampant, who tees off at 9:50 a.m. with local bet Alex Etter and Tsai Hsin-En of Taiwan.