Rain interrupted play this afternoon at the CTBC Ladies Classic before the game resumed after an almost three-hour delay. Still, 59 players were not able to complete the second round at the Dragon Lake Golf Club as darkness stopped play at 6:33 p.m.. Overnight leader and defending champion Chen Yu-Ju (陳宇茹) remained at 7-under after fifteen holes, having to share the lead with Korea’s Na Hee Won, who picked up five birdies in just thirteen holes to jump to the co-leading position.

The second-round will restart at 7:20 Saturday morning. The final-round follows one hour after the second-round concludes. A cut will be made to send only the top 60 and ties to the final leg.

China’s Liu Yiyi (劉依一) was one of the 70 players who was lucky enough to finish all 36 holes before rain and lightning cut things off. She shot a second consecutive 3-under 69 to sit in solo third place at 6-under. Fellow Chinese Du Mohan (杜墨含), who still has three holes to play for the second round, currently sit in solo fourth at 4-under.

Taiwanese teenager Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏), who carded 71, moved up to equal fifth place with Peng Chieh (彭婕) and Chinese player Zhang Weiwei (張維維) at 3-under.

Playing through to 14th at 2-under with the help of four birdies, Chen Yu-Ju went to the par-4 15th already after 6 p.m.. Under the bad light, Chen mistimed her tee shot as it flew into the left woods and ultimately led to a double bogey, which brought her back to even.

“The damp conditions after the rain kind of throw me off my rhythm,” said Chen, who only played four holes before the first suspension. She drained a couple of birdie putts on 2nd and 4th, but slowed down the pace when she returned, making a bogey on the 8th after a three-putt and another on the 12th caused by a water penalty. “I’m still in a very good position to win. It’s not a bad day. I think my game is pretty good right now. I’m hitting very solid. I’ll just have to take it one shot at a time, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Looking at the final round with a fearless ease, Wu Chia-Yen, who just turned 15, looked forward to the Saturday battle and said her four-shot deficit wouldn’t stand too much of a challenge if she could produce her best golf. “I like it how I played very aggressively throughout the day, although the putter was not that great,” Wu said as she concluded the day with three birdies on the 9th, 15th, and 18th, offset by two bogeys. She needed 33 attempts on the greens.

The Hsinchu Course-based Wu, still a 9th-grader, entered the CTBC Ladies Classic as a sponsor exempt.

TLPGA Tour no.2 Babe Liu (劉嬿) registered a 69 and rose into the top 10 at 2-under. She is joined by Huang Ching (黃靖), Zhang Yunjie (張芸杰), and Chonlada Chayayun in the eighth place.

CTBC Bank ambassador Shi Yuting (石昱婷) made 2-under and now has a 36-hole total of 143 which places her in a four-way tie for 13th.

Renuka Suksukont, last week’s Hengqin Phoenix Tree Building Orient Golf Challenge winner, is most likely to get cut after a Friday 77 which puts her in a tie for 97th at 152.

Preferred lies were allowed during the first two rounds due to the conditions.

Co-sanctioned by the TLPGA and the China LPGA, the RMB800,000 CTBC Ladies Classic will give away a winning check worth RMB120,000 on Saturday.