Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏) carded a 1-over 73 for the second day in a row and took the lead at the NT$5 million CTBC Ladies Open. She moved into the final round on Saturday with a one-shot lead over Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab and compatriot Chien Pei-Yun (錢珮芸).

Amateur talents Huang Ting-Hsuan (黃亭瑄), with a second-round 72, and Liao Hsin-Chun (廖信淳), who shot a 73, sit in a tie for fourth at 4-over 148.

Overnight leader Juliana Hung (洪玉霖), who was the lone player to break par yesterday, turned in a 78 and dropped into a tie for sixth with Teresa Lu (盧曉晴) and Hung Jo-Hua (洪若華).

Fresh off a victory from last week’s Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open, Wu Chia-Yen is eyeing her third win on the TLPGA Tour in 2022.

The 2021 TLPGA Tour money winner is setting her sight on the Step-Up Tour in 2023; she recently grabbed her membership for the JLPGA’s developmental tour in a qualification event.

Despite the lead, Wu didn’t feel she brought a performance of yesterday’s level. “I arrived today a little too early. I tried to get more practice before the round but apparently it also got me a little tired. I was not having a good focus,” Wu said, who missed a 1-footer on the first green and went on to bogey the first two holes. “I’m glad that I was able to regain some rhythm on the back nine to take the lead.” Wu closed the round with a birdie from three feet on the 18th. She needed 34 putts in total, which was 5 more than yesterday.

Her three birdies today were from the fifth, twelfth, and eighteenth. “Well, I guess my no.1 strategy for tomorrow is to have a great sleep tonight,” Wu said. “On a more serious note, I would probably choose toward smaller clubs in the final round to try minimize the risks.” Last time Wu competed in this city is when she played as a 15-year-old amateur at the 2019 K Kaohsiung City Ladies Open for Charity, where she finished as the low amateur and T6 on the final leaderboard.

Chien Pei-Yun also made three birdies and four bogeys, “I bagan with a pretty aggressive game, but then I realized I was playing into the trap set by this Kaohsiung layout,” she said. For the first time, the tournament was moved into the newly renovated Kaohsiung Golf & Country Club, which features fast greens with the speed measured at 10.1 for the second day in a row.

Chien, who started the round in a tie for fifth with Wu Yi-Ching (伍以晴) and playing partner Phoebe Yao (姚宣榆), arrived at the turn going two shots backwards. Fortunately, she adjusted her game plan timely and picked up three shots on the back nine. “I really enjoyed playing with Teresa (Lu) and Phoebe (Yao) today. They were great playing partners. We brought out the best in each of us,” she said.

On the par-3 14th, Chien was the only player in the group to reach the green in one shot, but ended up with a bogey after a three-putt. “Distance plays as my advantage, usually, but then again, on this layout, I believe finesse is key. I got to take a deep breath before every ball. And no more silly mistakes on the greens,” Chien said.

Cheenglab, despite going through a three-hole turbulence ahead of the turn, used a pair of birdies on each half to finish the round with a low-round 72. “The way the tees were up, and the narrow fairways, made it very difficult to get straight at the pins,” the Thai player said. “My goal on Saturday is to break par.”

Also shooting a 72 is amateur player Huang Ting-Hsuan, whose 58-degree wedge helped her score an eagle from 67 yards on the 10th. She stole the lead after delivering a tap-in birdie on the par-3 12th, but a bunker shot on the 16th and a wild chipping attempt on the 17th cost her three shots and pulled her down into a tie for fourth.

Another amateur player sitting on 4-over is Liao Hsin-Chun, who made three birdies and four bogeys. Highlight of her day was a chip-in from 13 yards on the 4th hole. “I was saving par here and there. But the good thing is I was making a lot of putts,” Liao said, who needed only 25 putts in the second round.

JLPGA major titlist Teresa Lu used 32 putts on the greens today which halted her from moving forward. She remained relaxed and positive with her husband as her caddie this week.

This is the 11th CTBC event, never absent from the TLPGA Tour since 2012. The CTBC Bank is one of the frontrunners in the development of the golf sport in Taiwan. In fact, in 1979, which was 43 years ago, the CTBC hosted the China Trust Cup International Golf Team Championship right here at the Kaohsiung Golf & Country Club.

A cut was made today to allow only 44 players at 14-over 158 or better into Saturday’s final-round.