Thailand’s Ploychompoo Wilairungrueng, Renuka Suksukont, and Taiwan’s Huang Ching (黃靖) were at the top of the leaderboard after round two of the ICTSI Champion Tour at the Tagaytay Midlands Club.

The trio has a two-round total of 7-under 137, but there are ten players within just four strokes of difference. The only other Taiwanese in the top-10 is Chen Meng-Chu (陳孟竺), who shot even-par 72 on Thursday to stay in T10 at 3-under-par 141 with Waralee Atcharerk, Saranporn Langkulgasettrin, and Chatprapa Siriprakob.

Pan Yen-Ling (潘彥伶), who was in a tie for second, dropped three shots today and fell into a tie for 14th.

Huang, starting her day in equal second as well, got off to a rough start with eight pars and one bogey on her outward nine (the back nine), but she rebounded well after the turn. In spite of another bogey on the 7th, the Taiwanese upped her gear to add four birdies to her scorecard, finishing the round at 2-under.

“My iron game was a bit off. Missed four greens in my front nine. Even if I found the greens, there was nothing I could do; they were so far away from the hole,” said Huang. “Lucky, I started to hit better coming inward, so that I can still stay in a competitive position. There are so many great Thai players playing at the top of their game. I’m looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.”

Playing the round from the tenth tee, Chen Meng-Chu overcame a bogey on the par-4 11th to get on a ride of three birdies before she admittedly got “nervous” closing it out.

“I wasn’t feeling in my best shape. It’s getting better than last week when I was feeling ill but still not so right, so I wasn’t expecting a good week here,” said Chen. “I don’t know. So when I was actually playing well with those birdies, and perhaps the thought of winning, I started to get a bit agitated.”

“My second shots were pretty good. My putting not so such today. This course at the Tagaytay Midlands Club seemed not so difficult but when you actually get out there playing, you would know it’s not as easy as you might think,” Chen said. “So I would say, I will have to stay very patient and steady tomorrow. It might just cost you at any moment on this course if you underestimate it.”

Lai Yi-Ting (賴怡廷), tied with Pan and three other players for 14th, didn’t create too many scoring opportunities for herself, saying her short game was “way off”.

“I thought I played a good shot, but it always ended up curving way off my intended direction,” Lai said. “I’m just happy that my putter held up nicely.”

Following an impressive first-round 64, overnight leader Pannapa Polnamin slipped down into a tie for fifth at 5-under 139 after suffering three bogeys and one double-bogey.

Taiwan’s Hou Yu-Sang (侯羽桑) carded a 71 to sit in equal 19th; her young sister, the 2018 TLPGA Ladies Open – Nan Pao winner Hou Yu-Chiang (侯羽薔) registered a disappointing 76 which moved her down into T40.

The preferred lies rule was in place due to inclement weather.

The cut was made at 6-over 150 to send 62 players into the final round on Friday. Play will start from the first and tenth tees at 7:00 tomorrow morning; the leader’s group will be sent off at 11:00.

The Tagaytay Midlands Club event is the seventh leg of the 2018 TLPGA Tour and serves as the eleventh stop on the LPGT. The total purse of the event is $75,000. The winner takes away a $15,000 cash prize; the runner-up will pocket $7,500.