Ardina, Saso card 71s, trail leader by 6

US women’s open

MANILA, Philippines — Dottie Ardina and Yuka Saso bucked the changing wind conditions and matched par 71s in a decent start by the Filipina bets in the US Women’s Open paced by Japanese Mamiko Higa at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina Thursday (yesterday in Manila).

While Ardina ran off a slew of pars at the front and mixed a bogey with a birdie at the back to get a spot in joint 25th, Saso rebounded in style from a bogey-bogey miscue despite an early start, hitting an eagle on the par-5 No. 15 to join the big group of even-par scorers, who included current world No. 2 Aussie Minjee Lee, No. 3 Sung Hyun Park of Korea, and inaugural Augusta National Womens’ Amateur champion Jennifer Kupcho of the US.

The long-hitting Saso, the reigning Asian Games gold medalist, also shot a birdie on the par-5 fifth but dropped a stroke on No. 8 to head to the backside with a 38. But after parring the first five holes at the back, she eagled the 525-yard No. 15 then closed out with pars to get into the early mix in the second golf major on the LPGA Tour.

The Fil-Japanese, however, stood five strokes behind Gina Kim of US in the race for low amateur honors. The fine start likewise put Ardina in a position to crash into the weekend cast following a series of missed cut stints in her first eight tournaments on the world’s most lucrative ladies circuit.

Higa, meanwhile, sizzled with a six-under 65, the lowest debut score by any player in US Women’s Open history, as she grabbed a one-stroke lead over Kim and Germany’s Ester Henseleit.

Higa, who is married to a pro sumo wrestler, anchored her hot start on a three-birdie binge from No. 3. She added another back-to-back birdie feat linking both nines then hit another on the 17th to finish with solid 32-33 card.

Sei Young Kim, also of Korea, and Azahara Muñoz of Spain fired identical 68s while defending champion Ariya Jutanugard of Thailand and world No. 1 Jin Young Ko turned in identical one-over 72s.