2020 champion Chien Pei-Yun (錢珮芸) carded a 2-under 70 in the second round of the 2024 Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open. She moved into the lead alongside Lee Hsin (李欣), who used an 8-foot birdie on the 18th hole to head into the final round as a co-leader on 2-under 142.

The NT$8-million event is the final leg of the 2024 Tour. Tomorrow’s winner will pocket a NT$1.5 million cash prize.

Overnight leader Yu Han-Hsuan (俞涵軒) fell into a five-way tie for fifth at even-par 144 after shooting a 3-over 75 on Thursday. LPGA Tour campaigner Hsu Wei-Ling (徐薇淩) again overcame a slow start to sit in a tie for third on 1-under 143 with TLPGA Tour rookie Wu Chun-Wei (吳純葳), who registered a low-round 69.

Cold, windy conditions made it hard to score today at the Taifong Golf & Country Club, with the green speed measured at 10.8. Only two players managed to break 70 and the low score was 69.

One of the two low-score makers was Wu Chun-Wei, who made four birdies and one bogey to rise up the leaderboard, going from T25 into a tie for third. In fact, this is only her second tournament as a TLPGA Tour pro; she finished in T6 in last week’s Taya Group Ladies Open.

Wu will be playing in the last group in Friday’s final round with Chien and Lee Hsin.

The other player carding a 69 was Wang Li-Ning (王莉甯), who is now two shots off on even-par 144. The no.4 player on the TLPGA Tour’s 2024 Money List is now about the only player to challenge no.2 Chien’s title as the official Money Winner after the season-ending event, with no.1 Chang Ching-Ling (張靖翎) now nine shots behind and no.3 Chen Yu-Ju (陳宇茹) absent.

With players dropping shots early into the round, Chien remained bogey-free until the par-5 17th hole, where she made an only bogey on the card after finding the sand trap twice and reaching the green in five attempts.

Chien held one TLPGA Tour victory this year at the season-opening Hitachi Ladies Classic. She’s spent most of the year on the LPGA Tour, with the highlight of her season came at the major-level Amundi Evian Championship, where she scored a hole-in-one and finished in a tie for seventh.

“I think it will come down to the par-5s on the 17th and 18th in tomorrow’s final round. They are going to be crucial. I hope I will make at least one birdie there,” said Chien, who is now tied for the lead with Lee Hsin and holding a mere one-shot advantage over fellow LPGA Tour player Hsu.

Lee Hsin decided to take back her old putter that helped her finish in the fourth place in last year’s event. “It felt good. Many long putts were going in. And I was really happy I made those pair of birdies by the end of the round ,” said Lee Hsin, who made four birdies, two on the par-5 17th and 18th, and four bogeys to turn in a 72 today. “It is a tough layout, and tough conditions, so I will try to reduce errors first and seek chance to make some birdies.”

Hsu, just like yesterday, was cold coming into the round. She opened with two bogeys in the first round yesterday before adding four birdies on the rest of the day. And today, she dropped three shots in the first four holes. However, the LPGA Tour titlist again showed her resilience, making two birdies and no more bogey on the remaining fourteen holes.

“My second shots were not very good today. But the one from 170 yards on the 15th was great. I sent the ball into a really promising position, giving me that important birdie to go into the final round with just a one-shot deficit,” said the 2021 winner. “I will be on the second-to-last group going out tomorrow, which feels great mentally for me. Less pressure.”

2018 champ Lee Min (李旻) fell from equal third to eighteenth after a 4-over 76, while defending champion Juliana Hung (洪玉霖) also had a rough first two rounds and barely made the cut on 6-over 150.

A total of 58 players on 7-over or better prevailed through to the final round.