Saso fires 67, trails by 5 shots

Yuka Saso fired a flawless five-under-par 67 to remain in contention in the TOTO Japan Classic in Otsu-shi, Shiga, Japan on Friday.

The 23-year-old Fil-Japanese made five birdies in a bogey-free round to join a big group on 8-under.

Tied with Saso were Yuna Nishimura, Hira Naveed, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Sakura Koiwai, Karen Tsuruoka, Chisato Iwai, Haeran Ryu and Ayaka Furue.

Yuka Saso fired a flawless five-under-par 67 to remain in contention in the TOTO Japan Classic in Otsu-shi, Shiga, Japan on Friday.

The 23-year-old Fil-Japanese made five birdies in a bogey-free round to join a big group on 8-under, five shots off the pace

Tied with Saso were Yuna Nishimura, Hira Naveed, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Sakura Koiwai, Karen Tsuruoka, Chisato Iwai, Haeran Ryu and Ayaka Furue.

Hana Wakimoto, the rank outsider, retained her two-shot lead as she reached the halfway point of the tournament. Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn surged into a tie for second on the leaderboard.

Wakimoto, currently ranked 236th in the world, shot a solid four-under-par 68 at Seta Golf Course, bringing her total to an impressive 13-under overall.

The 27-year-old made headlines on the opening day by equalling the 18-hole tournament scoring record with a stunning 63. In her second round, she recorded one bogey and five birdies.

Making her tournament debut, Wakimoto has yet to win on the LPGA Tour but has notched two top-10 finishes this year on the Japanese tour, which she joined in 2018.

Jutanugarn, a two-time major champion, joined American Yealimi Noh at 11-under after both players finished their rounds. Jutanugarn’s impressive bogey-free performance included six birdies, yielding a six-under 66.

South Korea’s Ko Jin-young finished with a 70, placing her in a tie for fifth at nine-under. The former world number one made three birdies but stumbled with a bogey on the 17th hole.

Australia’s Minjee Lee, slipped down the leaderboard, finishing tied for 52nd after a round of 75.