Saso gets mixed bag on moving day with 70

MANILA, Philippines — Settling down with her long game that hampered her drive in the first two rounds, Yuka Saso hit all but three fairways that produced three early birdies and was on her way to making her vaunted charge until a couple of mishaps impeded her roll.

Instead, she ended up with a second straight 70 and though she improved from joint 16th to a share of 12th, the Fil-Japanese ace fell farther back by eight behind new leader Ayaka Furue in the third round of the TOTO Japan Classic in Shiga Prefecture at the Seta Golf’s North course Saturday.

The in-form Furue, chasing her third victory in the last four Japan LPGA tournaments, shot one birdie at the front but fired three in the last six to storm past two-day leader Sakura Koiwai with a 13-under 203 aggregate, two shots clear of current top JLPGA player and money derby leader Mone Iname, who sizzled with a second straight 67 to join veteran Momoko Ueda, who carded a 68, at 205.

Like in the second round where she had to fight back from a wobbly start to salvage a 69 on a fiery backside 32 and stay at the helm, Koiwai fumbled with three bogeys in the first 10 holes. But she ran out of holes in her comeback bid, setting for two birdies in the last three for a 73.

Winner of four tournaments this year, Koiwai dropped to fifth at 207 behind Mao Saigo, who moved from joint ninth to solo fourth at 206 after a bogey-free 66 spiked by three birdies in the last four holes.

Locked in a five-way tie at 16th seven shots off Koiwai halfway through the $2 million event, the ICTSI-backed Saso worked her way into contention with birdies on Nos. 2, 6 and 10. But just when she thought she had the par 34-37 course all figured out, she fumbled with a bogey on the 11th and dropped another stroke on the par-5 No. 13, which she eagled Friday that highlighted her previous 70 round.

After two pars, Saso, who missed nine fairways in the first and seven in the next, recovered and birdied the 16th for her 33-37 and a 211 total that dropped her eight shots behind, virtually too big a deficit to overcome in the last 18 holes over a course that continued to receive a beating from the fired-up field teeming with talents.

But the fight for the top Y33 million purse couldn’t be any more tighter with five players bracing for a shootout in a finish that could go down to the last shot or putt.

But Furue hopes her two-stroke cushion would be enough to lift her to another victory after ruling the Fujitsu Ladies and the Nobuta Group Masters last month. She tied for third in last week’s Mitsubishi Electric topped by Hinako Shibuno.

But hot on her trail is Inami, the hottest player on Tour with seven victories, the last in the Japan Ladies Pro Golf Championship, a major, last September. She tied for eighth and fourth in the next two tournaments, respectively, then skipped the Nobuta Group event due to a minor back injury.

But she’s back in top shape this week, her bogey-free 67 lining her up for another crack at the championship.