Amateur Chang Ya-Chun (張雅淳) posted 2-under par 70 in the second round of the 8th annual Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in the Lake Wales Country Club in Florida. The Taiwanese teenager finished Saturday at 6-under 138, just one shot ahead of Japan’s Kana Nagai.

Taiwan’s Symetra Tour member Chien Pei-Yun (錢珮芸) registered a 1-under 71 to sit in a tie for third at 140 with Canadian Samantha Richdale.

At the age of just 15 years, seven months, Chang would set new bar if she can win on Sunday as the youngest player to ever lift a trophy in Symetra Tour’s 36-year history and just the fourth amateur to emerge victorious.

The TLPGA Tour forged a partnership with the Symetra Tour this off season. Twelve sponsor invitation opportunities are provided for TLPGA members to be joining the fields of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic and the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial next week, to help them get acclimated to playing in the United States ahead of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic.

Tee time for Sunday’s final round will be 7:30 a.m.. Chang will play in the final group with Nagai and Chien at 11:32 a.m. The cut was made at 5-over, sending 69 players into tomorrow.

Nicknamed “Money”, Chang is now the no.1 amateur in Taiwan and will be playing with another “Money,” her compatriot Chien, in the same group for the first time. “People are calling us ‘Big Money’ and ‘Small Money,’ but when I’m turning pro, I think people might have to call me ‘Young Money’ and start to call Pei-Yun the ‘Old Money’ instead!” Chang joked.

Starting in the afternoon wave, Chang created eight birdie chances and took three. “I felt great, tried to play aggressive. Whenever I made it within 30 feet, I felt like it was a birdie chance for me,” said Chang. “It was actually not easy with the pin positions, the wind, and the fast greens today, but I’m happy with the way I played.”

“Old Money” Chien, 25, made four birdies and three bogeys. The longest putt was from 21 feet but she felt she definitely left some when asked about her birdie count. “I didn’t take advantage of the par-5s. Made a bogey with a bad second shot on the ninth, and then missed a few short six to nine footers on the fourth, tenth, and thirteenth,” said Chien, who needed 30 putts.

Although battling cold symptoms, Chien’s new swing gave her many opportunities with increased precision. She hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation. “The front nine has been easier. I will need to take great use of it,” Chien said. “I’m also still finding the feel with a new putter. Hopefully I can do better with it on Sunday and make more birdies.”

Five other Taiwanese advanced out of the fifteen TLPGA players participating this week. They are Doris Chen (陳彥寧) (144, T15), Cheng Ssu-Chia (程思嘉) (147, T30), Chen Meng-Chu (陳孟竺) (148, T40), Yeh Hsin-Ning (葉欣寧) and Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒) (149, T54). Lin is the tournament’s 2011 winner.

The Florida’s Natural Charity Classic features a total purse of US$175,000 and the winner will be receive US$26,250. It marks the first TLPGA Tour event co-sanctioned with the developmental tour to the LPGA Tour, dubbed the “Road to the LPGA”.