Plucksataporn leads by one shot over former JLPGA player Huang Yu-Chen (黃玉珍), who aced the 155-yard hole no.8 and held a two-shot lead on the front nine, but the excitement got a little overwhelming as she carded two bogeys on the back nine to hand over the clubhouse lead.

 

“My heart was beating so fast after that one that I had to constantly sit back and reset myself in the next few swings,” said Huang. “It went exactly the way I planned it. Could be the best shot of me in lots of years.” She holed it out with her 6-iron, which recorded as her eighth hole-in-one in her career.

 

“It’s been over a year since I last made it to the final group in a final round,” said Huang. “The weather was nice, warm and sunny. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I think I will have to be really careful on the approach shots, and of course, putting. I’m ready to keep up this rhythm.”

 

21-year-old Ruby Pan (潘彥伶) leveled Huang at an even par 144 after a solid play including a beautiful chip-in birdie from just outside the ninth green.

 

As unsatisfied with her performance, Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) posted three birdies and three bogeys to see herself boosted into a tie for fourth with first-round leader Lee Min (李旻) and Thailand’s Saraporn Chamchoi. 

 

“It was not a good day. A lot of fairways missed,” said the former LPGA no.1. There appeared only three fairways hit out of eighteen from the five-time major winner, but gladly she needed just 26 putts to sit within striking distance, at a 1-over 145, for her third victory in this event.

 

“The good thing is, I putted quite well. Chasing from behind always gives extra motivation. So hopefully the putter stays hot, the woods and irons will be better,” said Tseng, who signed a new equipment deal with Callaway during offseason.

 

But all will have to catch Plucksataporn, who should carry her momentum from the final-hole birdie into Sunday’s final round. “I had an okay day. The flag weren’t exactly easy to get close,” said the 2013 TLPGA & Royal Open champion. “The hope is that I can putt a little better and I think I have a great shot.” Plucksataporn needed a total of 30 putts.

 

Only players in the top 49 and ties who finished lower than 157 survived the cut for the final round for a share of the NT$6,800,000 prize. The winner will receive a lucrative NT$2 million check while the runner-up gets NT$700,000.