Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
MANILA, Philippines – The Japanese expectedly dominated the first round of the Toto Classic at home as Akie Iwai scorched the Taiheiyo Club’s Minori course with a nine-under 63 for a one-stroke lead over Mone Inami, Yuna Nishimura and Nasa Hataoka in Omitama, Ibaraki Thursday.
But Yuka Saso wasn’t among the frontrunners as the 2021 US Women’s Open champion settled for a 69, which dropped her to tied 36th in a field of 78 in the $2 million event serving as the fourth-to-last tournament in the LPGA Tour calendar in the season about to end.
But Iwai, with three victories on the LPGA of Japan, rose to the challenge, posting a pair of three-birdie sprees from Nos. 1 and 16 to string a 33-30 highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 No. 12.
She made one bogey on No. 4 but hit two more birdies on the ninth and 13th as she found herself of top of the stellar field, headed by last year’s champion Gemma Dryburge of Scotland, who shot a 67 for a share of 10th.
Saso acutally came through with three back-to-back birdies from Nos. 2, 6 and 16 but the ICTSI-backed shotmaker seeking to snap a winless run since scoring a major breakthrough in San Francisco, slipped with bogeys on Nos. 4, 8 and 15 as she fell into the group of American Lindy Duncay, Denmark’s Nanna Madsen, South African Paula Reto and Thai Chanetee Wannasaen.
Saso, who tied for 20th in last week’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia, hit all but two fairways and missed four greens but wound up with 30 putts.
Meanwhile, another local bet, Shiho Kuwaki fired a 65 for joint fifth with Chinese Yu Liu while Sora Kamiya and Hikaru Yoshimoto matched 66s with Xiyu Lin, also from China. — Jan Veran
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
