Im Jin Hee kept her lead at the inaugural Foxconn TLPGA Players Championship after carding a second-round, 1-over 73 on Friday. The South Korean started the day with a three-shot lead at 5-under par, but now stood just one shot lower than Japanese Haruka Kawasaki (69) and Taiwanese Chen Yu-Ju (陳宇茹) (71). The US$1 million event is one of the highest-paying TLPGA own-sanctioned tournaments in tour history.

2023 TLPGA Tour Money Winner, Thailand’s P.K. Kongkraphan posted a 71 to sit in solo fourth. Last year’s Hitachi Ladies Classic champion Kokona Sakurai, which was played on the same venue, is now in a tie for fifth alongside compatriot Rio Takeda.

“The wind was getting stronger. I could not quite place the tee shots to where I wanted, which made it difficult for me to attack the pin,” said Im, who pointed out the wind’s unpredictability here at the Orient Golf & Country Club. “I went onto the final tee ready to play against the wind, but turned out there was basically no wind at all when I hit. The tee shot ended up into the roughs and finally I had to drop a shot right before the finish line.” Tired fighting the wind all day, Im said she would need to take a good rest tonight to be physically prepared for the second half of the TLPGA Tour major.

Haruka Kawasaki, who began on the back nine, opened the day with a surprising eagle on her first hole on the 10th, which helped her regain confidence to combat the swirling wind at the Orient. “I didn’t have much thinking actually because the wind was so strong and so messy. I took out my 7-iron on the third shot and the ball just flowed and dropped in,” Kawasaki said of the 10th-hole eagle, who went on to score four more birdie and became one of the only two players to break 70 today.

Chen Yu-Ju is bearing the local hopes after firing five birdies on Friday, but she also made four bogeys to settle for just a 1-under 71. “I was playing well from the tees, some great second shots, too, but the putter did not go as well,” said Chen, who made a great attacking attempt on the par-5 fifth hole but ended up with a three-putt bogey. The KLPGA Tour member still holds a realistic chance of winning at 3-under 141.

Kongkraphan also made five birdies in the second round. “This course plays really long, the green speed reaches about 10.3-10.5, just like every time I played here, I need to be very careful while keeping up the aggression to play well,” the Thai said. “I was particularly sharp from the tees, making a lot of fairways to good spots. Saved a couple of bunker shots. So, it was a pretty good round I would say. Hopefully I’ll bring the same intense level tomorrow.”

2023 Hitachi Ladies Classic winner Sakurai kept the putt count low in the second round, needing only 29 putts. “I’m trying to play a bit safer, knowing the wind was getting a bit aggressive, which I guess played a good strategy,” said the Japanese.

Local teen talent Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏) had a long day at the office. She finished with a 7-over 79, which pushed her down into a tie for 34th. “I kind of struggled with my consistency and finally lost a bit of concentration. I’ll go back to the practice range and I hope I will come back stronger in the third round.”

55 players at 8-over or better advanced into the weekend after today’s cut. Taiwan-based super brand Foxconn (Hon Hai Technology Group), one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers, is the title sponsor of the TLPGA Tour event.