Ariya Trails Chinese Feng One Stroke in LPGA Japan
Ariya Jutanugarn fired a second round 68 to follow Chinese Shanshan Feng by a stroke in the TOTO Japan Classic at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Ibarkabi on Saturday.
The winner of five LPGA titles carded six birdies against two bogeys on the ninth and 14 th holes for a two-day total of 10-under-par 134.
Ariya looked as if she may pull away from the field at the front nine as she birdied 4 of her first 8 holes. But two bogeys and some missed putts on the back-nine stymied that chance.
"At the front nine I made a lot of putts, so I made a few birdies,” the world No 2 said. "The back nine my putting wasn’t that good but overall it was pretty good, my putting was just ok today."
Ariya is still in the running to win the Player of the Year with a 260-247 lead over world No 1 Lydia Ko who finished at tied 52nd in Irabaki after a total 145.
Feng who just won the LPGA in Malaysia a fortnight ago used back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th to pull away from a crowded leaderboard.
Feng carded a TOTO Japan Classic record 8-under 64 on moving day to jump from T7 to take the 36-hole lead of the 54-hole event.
The bogey free, 8-birdie round puts Feng in a great position to join Lydia Ko and Ariya Jutanugarn as back-to-back winners in 2016. Jutanugarn has accomplished the feat twice this year, even winning 3 in a row (Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC and the LPGA Volvik Championship). Feng also has an opportunity to extend her streak of top-4 finishes to 6 events.
"Right now my confidence level is pretty high, I know how to score." Feng said following her Tournament record round. "The reason why I struggled in the first half of the year, I was actually hitting the ball pretty well but I didn’t know how to score. Now the putting is working and even though I leave myself a 15-footer for birdie I feel comfortable to make it. So now I feel a lot more comfortable and confident on the course."
If back-to-back wins weren't already enough for Feng, she may have found another source of motivation during her trip to Japan.
"I went to Tokyo because I love Japanese food, I went to Tokyo to my favorite restaurants and went shopping and I spent some money on Monday so that’s why I have to try hard on the weekend to make the money back." Feng joked.
Thai No 2 Pornanong Phatlum hit a bogey free 67 for a total 7-under-par 137 to land at joint ninth along with South Korean Mi Hyang Lee and American Cristie Kerr.
