Yuka Saso carded a one-over-par 73 for the second straight day and found herself 13 shots off new leader Korean In Gee Chun going into the final 18 holes of the HSBC Women’s World Championship at the Sentosa Golf Club, Tenjong Course in Singapore Saturday
Like her second round story, Saso, who is now representing Japan, blew hot and cold – birdying the opening hole but quickly squandered with a double-bogey on the third.
She recovered with birdies on the par-3 7th – thanks to a solid tee shot – and par-4 9th.
Things went sour for her in the next five holes that saw her bogey three times that hurt her bid badly. Good thing, the reigning US Women’s Open champion was able to birdie the 18th for a three-day total of 217 for a share of 45th place.
Chun, who started the round in sixth place, sizzled with a bogey-free 66 for 204 following earlier rounds of 70 and 68.
Jeongeun Lee also torched the course with an eagle-aided 65 to propel herself from outside the top 10 to joint second with world No. 1 Jin Young Ko with identical 205.
Jin slipped from first to sixth despite shooting a 69, a round spiked by four birdies against a bogey on the sixth.
Second-round co-leader Danielle Kang carded a 68 but found herself slip at joint fourth with Atthaya Thitikul (70) and Amy Yang (71) with 207.