Lee Tai-Ling (李黛翎) shot a 2-under 70 on Day 2 of the TLPGA Ladies Open – Nan Pao to go atop the leaderboard with a 36-hole total of 3-under 141.

Overnight leader Lee Hsin (李欣) turned in a 74, now sitting tied with Chen Cih-Hui (陳慈惠) (73), one shot back.

Chen Yu-Ju (陳宇茹) (73) and amateur Hou Yu-Chiang (侯羽薔) (70) sit in equal fourth with 143s.

Japan LPGA Step Up Tour member Chen Szu-Han (陳思涵) fired a low-round 69 to close the second-round in equal sixth with Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒), Chen Min-Jou (陳敏柔), and 16-year-old amateur Lu Hsin-Yu (盧昕妤). The trio is now at even-par 144.

Failing to make the cut in both other events along this TLPGA three-week stretch, Lee Tai-Ling learned a few tips after the SAMPO Ladies Open last week from her mentor, now TLPGA chairwoman Cheng Mei-Chi, to make some minor twists to her techniques and adjustment to the timing of her chipping shots especially.

The change helped instantly. “I really didn’t expect to take the lead because I didn’t feel so well in the last two weeks,” said Lee. “This will be actually the first time I’m going into the final round as the leader. The key will be to cut down the mistakes. I was driving pretty well today, made about 10 fairways in 14, so I hope I can keep that up and maintain the level of control.”

She needed just 28 putts today, two of them converted to birdies from three feet and nine feet range respectively; however, Lee felt like she’s got more to give. “I felt like my putter is my strength and it has yet to earn me too much advantage, so I hope it can be better tomorrow,” said Lee.

Lee has already one TLPGA Tour victory under her belt in a Heritage Tour event last August.

Making just six fairways on Thursday, Chen Cih-Hui found herself constantly in awkward hitting positions. She managed to pitch sharply and pick up two birdies outward, but her wedge game abandoned her after the turn. She made three bogeys in four holes between no.11 to 14, needing a total of 33 putts.

“I’ve hit a small milestone this week actually that I get to go last all tournament long,” said Chen. “The leaderboard is packed. I will need to stay very focused, do not drop any shots easily. I honestly think it will be everybody’s game.” Chen is still in search of her first TLPGA Tour win.

First-round leader Lee Hsin carded one birdie, one bogey, and a double-bogey on the sixth as she attempted to remove a twig in the pond before attempting a shot from the water on the 6th at the Nan Pao Club, which incurred a two-stroke penalty.

“I kept coming up short today,” said Lee. “Good thing is, I won’t be teeing it off tomorrow as the leader this time, which helps to get some unnecessary pressure off my shoulder. I hope I can play more steady and solid golf in the final round.”

Lee was the 36-hole leader at Fanling Hong Kong Golf Club two weeks ago, and last week as well at Taipei Golf Course, but failed to maintain her lead in the final round on both occasion and fell to T3 and T5.

If not for a triple-bogey on the par-5 10th, reigning CTBC Ladies Classic winner Chen Yu-Ju could have handed in a decent score card. “I’ve never seen something like this. My ball fell off from the tee the moment I tried to hit it. Even worse that it rolled down into the pond which gave me a penalty stroke,” said Chen. “I’ve been playing a tight schedule this past couple of months, so I’m not asking for much. I simply hope that my body will hold up tomorrow in the final.”

Sitting in equal fourth with Chen, amateur Hou Yu-Chiang carded four birdies and two bogeys for a Thursday 70. She hit 14 greens, 30 putts, and the highlight of them was a birdie putt from 42 feet on the 13th. “I feel like the key to perform on this course will be the short game,” said Hou. “I’m going to try putting every ball onto the green in regulation, and see how my putter will help me.”

A cut was made today to 70 players who were at 11-over 155 or lower. Final-round play will begin at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning from the first and tenth tees with the leader’s group teeing up at 8:55.

TLPGA will provide a lottery ticket for each TLPGA Facebook fan coming to the final round at the Nan Pao Golf Club on Friday with a chance to win free nights at the 85 Sky Tower Hotel.

Set at 6,211 yards long for this week’s tournament, the Nan Pao Golf Course is located in Danei Dist., Tainan City. Built with investment from Nan Pao Resins Group, the 27-hole course consisting of A, B, C sections is perfectly blended in nature and surrounded by a stream which is nicely offset by groves of big-leafed mahogany, camphor and hoop pine trees.