Saso pulls away by 3

Yuka Saso matched her opening day output of 70 and broke away from a three-way tie to a threestroke lead and closer to keeping the Champion Philippine Ladies Amateur Open crown at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Forbes Park yesterday.

Out to atone for her putting struggle late in the first round where she flubbed five birdie chances inside eight feet that enabled Yosita Khawnuna of Thailand and Mafy Singson to gain a share of the lead, Saso actually failed to hit her scoring target but succeeded to wrest control as her rivals faltered one after the other with over-par scores.

“My putting was good enough but I know I can still be better,” said the

reigning Asian Games gold medalist, who birdied the opening hole for the second straight day and added three more on Nos. 7 (10 feet), 9 (20 feet) and 18 (two feet).

She, however, failed to return a five-footer for par on No. 3 and bogeyed Nos. 4 and 8 on errant drives and missed two birdie opportunities.

But her second one-under card at the par-71 posh layout proved enough to net her the solo lead at 140 as Khawnuna, 16, cracked under pressure and hobbled with a 73 and slipped to solo second at 143.

Singson, on the other hand, turned from impressive to mediocre as she skied to an 80 and tumbled to joint fifth with Taiwanese Sung Youchuan (74) and Inagaki Nanako of Japan (72) at 150, now 10 strokes behind in the event presented by Champion and sponsored by Hana Shampoo, EVA Air, San Miguel Corp. and Diamond Motor Corp.