Sakura Yokomine
Unpredictably the sun shone brightly and Japan's Sakura Yokomine blazed the fairways of Hirao Country Club to finish her second round with a another five-under 67 for a two-day total of 134.
Joint leader with Sakura on the first round Kongkapan Patcharachuta dropped to second spot after ending with a 2-under 70 for a 137 total, while South Korea's Grace lee who played to four-under 68 today is seated third with a 36-hole total of 139.
The 25-year-old Sakura (Sakura means Cherry Blossom) was in fiery form and said she was happy with the three-shot cushion but is aware that she has to charge and pick up more strokes in the final round to pull ahead of her rivals if she wants to pocket the USD18,000 winner's purse.
But older sister YOKOMINE, RUI lurking six strokes adrift is bent on stealing the highlight and said it won't be easy for Sakura as she hopes to have a wonderful round tomorrow - taking confidence from a good form today. Rui at one stage of the round today was four-under but eventually dropped two strokes to check out with a two-under 70.
"If I play like what I did today, it's going to be a bit a big threat to Sakura," said Rui.
The sisters may not be in the ranks of tennis stars - Venus and Serena Williams - but said they could be just as famous someday in the near future.
"We are hoping to achive the same kind of greatness on the golf course," said Rui.
But Sakura insists it was the thought of always doing better than her older sister that gives her the drive to do well.
"I always want to be better than my older sister," she said, who posted birdies on the first, fourth, sixth, 12th, 13th and 16th holes, while dropping one on the ninth.
Patcharachuta, starting on the 10th tee, dropped a stroke when her ball went into the water but came back strongly on her way out.
"It was not a bad effort. I played well but not well enough to keep pace with the leader," she said, adding that she was hitting a lot better than yesterday, but missing a couple of birdie putts failed her miserably.
"I'll make it up tomorrow (today) in the final round," she said, adding that she's in peak form.
Lee, a one-time winner on the Korean LPGA, said she never really fashioned her game for difficult shots. "I played it safe all the way. There was no pressure on me and neither was I chasing the leader. I was playing for myself and to please myself," she said.
However, Midori Yoneyama who is lying joint fourth with Rui Yokomine, Maiko Wakabayashi on 140, was all excited after scoring a hole-in-one on Hole No 2 but missed out on 1 million yen because the cash offer was only for the final round.
However, it was learned that the sponsors will be giving her a reward for her effort. "I hit an 8-iron at the 157 yards par-3 Hole No 2. The ball landed three metres in front of the hole before rolling into the cup," she said.
