Japan LPGA campaigner Tsai Pei-Ying (蔡佩穎) heads into the final-round of the Hitachi Air Conditioning Ladies Classic with a two-shot lead after carding a 2-under 70 on Saturday. She will be hoping to take her second crown in the historic event after her 2022 triumph.

Despite a bogey on the opening hole, Tsai kept further mistakes off her card and efficiently capitalized on the limited chances she made for herself to go from 1-under to 3-under 141, building a two-shot cushion.

“I was feeling a bit better than yesterday. The distance, the direction, and my feel and touch on the ball were all good. As hard as it was to get close to the pin, I rolled in some pretty decent putts to compensate for it,” said Tsai. Highlights of her round included a brilliant 56-degree wedge shot, from a side slope, that ended up right next to the 13th pin. She made her second birdie on that hole and moved into outright lead.

Chen Chih-Min (陳之敏) also recovered from a sluggish start, dropping two shots in five holes, to close the second round on 2-under 70 and rise into equal second with Thailand’s Navaporn Soontreeyapas on 1-under 143.

“It was a bit messy early in the morning. I failed to go up-and-down on the very first hole after a poor iron shot, missed a good birdie chance on the 4th, and then wasted another one con the 5th where I actually ended up three-putted and dropped a shot instead,” Chen recalled. “But I tried to keep my cool and stick to my plan, and the birdies started to fall. I’m feeling great at the moment and hopefully I will start the final round as strong as how I finished today.”

Soontreeyapas played alongside Tsai today as both of them shot 71 in Round 1. She endured a dull first seventeen holes nd made her only birdie on her final attempt, before she registered a 72. “It was a solid round, but I just couldn’t really get any luck. I had a tough 40-yard on the 15th green, and I made three putts to leave with a bogey. But I tried to just keep trying and finally I scored a birdie on the last hole,” said the Thai, who landed 12 fairways.

Eight-time TLPGA Tour winner, Thailand’s P.K. Kongkraphan bounced back from a first-round 75 to shoot a low-round 69 on Saturday, surging into a tie for fourth on 144 with rookie Wu Chun-Wei (吳純葳).

“Yeah, I took some more time than I would have hoped to settle into the new season, the new tournament, and this really difficult layout at Sunrise. I’m glad I found the groove today and just happy to finish the round in the 60s,” said Kongkraphan, who held the most titles last TLPGA Tour season.

“In tough conditions like these, I actually wasn’t bringing my most aggressive game. I tried to stay calm and minimize the risks, and just patiently wait for my chances. I think this plan worked well.” Kongkraphan’s 69 was composed of five birdies and two bogeys.

Wu, who is playing only her third TLPGA Tour event as a pro, made two birdies and one bogey to move four spots up into T4. “I made an adjustment on my stroke and it started working pretty well. I was able to find good lies and get on the putting surface,” Wu said. “I just hope I can continue to play like this in the final round.”

Kanyawat Poomklay made a surprise Ace on the 153-yard second hole using her 6-iron. However, this was the only red number on the card today. She turned in a second-round 75, which carried her under the cut line. The cut line was 9-over 153. A total of 54 players made it through.

Tomorrow’s winner of the NT$10 million event will take away a NT$2.5 million cash check.

The 17th annual Hitachi Air Conditioning Ladies Classic returns to the Sunrise Golf & Country Club as the 2025 Taiwan LPGA Tour gets rolling. The international field sees 108 players gather from Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore. Chien Pei-Yun (錢珮芸) is the defending champion.

Annual proceeds from the tournament will be used to endow local charities. Over the past sixteen years, the donation amount has reached well over NT$100 million. This year’s donation will benefit eleven charitable organizations in the Taoyuan area.

The Hitachi Air Conditioning Ladies Classic is presented by Hitachi (Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning Taiwan).