(UPDATED 4:18 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines — Japanese Oshiro Satsuki rattled off six birdies in a scorching frontside finish at sundown to shoot a seven-under 65, dislodging Yuka Saso on top in the opener of the Nitori Ladies golf tournament in Hokkaido, Japan Thursday.
Satsuki hovered in the middle of the pack with a one-under card after nine holes but birdied Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 6 before closing out with back-to-back feats to storm past an equally hot-starting Saso in a torrid day of scoring at the Otaru Country Club with 42 of the starting 119-player field breaking par.
Two weeks after ripping the NEC Karuizawa field with an explosive windup in Nagano, Saso threatened to dominate the same LPGA of Japan Tour cast with a blistering start in early tee-off in the $1.8 million event, her five-under card netting her an early one-stroke lead over Sakura Koiwai.
But Oshiro sizzled in one of the late flights and spoiled Saso’s bid although the power-hitting Fil-Japanese liked where she stood in the early going of the 72-hole championship kicking off an eight-tournament JLPGA jaunt in the next three months.
Saso spiked her backside start with an eagle on the par-5, 525-yard 13th on a solid drive and a superb 3-wood second shot from 225 yards that landed three feet off the cup. She then struck back from a bogey mishap on No. 15 with a solid run of four birdies at the front, including three straight from No. 5.
“I had some good shots off the mound. I didn’t expect to get such a good score, so I was really satisfied,” said Saso.
No one from among the morning group was able to match that five-under card in hot conditions as Koiwai wilted at the finish and flubbed a birdie putt on her closing par-5 ninth hole to settle for a 68, the same card turnedin by Shina Kanazawa, Mayu Hamada and Rumi Yoshiba.
Shiho Oyama stumbled with a bogey on her way home on No. 8 to drop to joint third at 69 with Seira Oki, Ayano Yasuda, Hikaru Yoshimoto, amateur Sara Ota and Taiwanese Pei-Ying Tsai while Earth Mondahmin Cup winner Ayaka Watanabe carded a 70 for joint 14th with 10 others.
Aware of the challenges awaiting her at the Otaru Country Club, one of the most difficult courses on the JLPGA Tour, the Tokyo-based Saso moved to Hokkaido last Aug. 21 and made the most of the opportunity to familiarize herself with the layout and at the same time acclimatize.
“I thought it was cool but it was unexpectedly hot. Still, I made a thorough preparation and played for two straight days,” the ICTSI-backed ace shotmaker said.
It did help as the two-time Philippine Ladies Open titlist got going after three straight pars, eagling the 525-yard 13th off a solid drive and a superb second shot that landed 12 feet off the cup. She failed to go up-and-down on No, 15 but hit her stride at the front, birdying No. 2 then stringing three straight from No. 5 inside seven feet.
“Because I won (at NEC Karuizawa), I have to be careful about various things and I want to keep up my mind,” said Saso, who’s putting premium again on the long game in her drive for a second straight championship in the region’s premier ladies circuit.
“The most important thing here is the tee shot. I think I can hit my driver well although I have to likewise take care of my next shots,” she said.
Over in the US, Dottie Ardina, Bianca Pagdanganan and Clariss Guce resume their LPGA Tour campaign as they vie in the NW Arkansas Championship beginning Friday headlined by some of he world’s best at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arizona.
World No. 2 Danielle Kang, who swept the two Ohio events last month, and No. 4 Nelly Korda, both of the US, slug it out in the featured flight at 7:44 a.m. along with Aussie Minjee Lee while a slew of other aces gear up for a strong start in the 54-hole tournament offering a total prize fund of $2.3 million.