Tzu-Yi Chang stole the thunder from fellow amateur Yuka Saso, unleashing a scorching frontside windup to shoot a six-under 65 and wrest a one-stroke lead over the Fil-Japanese and Thai pro Arpichaya Yubol in the second round of the ICTSI Manila Golf Ladies Classic at the Manila Golf Club yesterday.

Unable to get going with shaky putting in a 72 start Wednesday, Chang finally put it all together, including her irons and short game, in another sweltering but windy day, birdying four of the last six holes at the front, highlighted by three straight from No. 6.

“Very good. My putting, irons and short game were in place,” said Chang, who used just 26 putts, seven less than what she did in the previous round, to move 18 holes away from snaring the crown with a 137 in the $100,000 event serving as the seventh leg of the seventh season of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

“The course has lots of slopes and you have to be extra careful to avoid getting into trouble,” added the 17-year-old Junior World veteran after churning out a personal-best card on a par-71 layout. “I shot 66 twice in Taiwan but this one is like a 66 because the course is par-71.”

In contrast, Saso struggled on the surface coming off a fiery windup that spiked his lead-grabbing 67, ending up with 34 putts marred by a three-putt miscue on No. 14. She settled for a 71 to slip to second at 138 with Yubol, who missed joining Chang at the helm with a bogey on the ninth for a 68.

But Saso and Yubol are expected to bring out the best – or the worst – from Chang as they slug it out in the final group at 9 a.m. with the reigning Asian Games gold medalist hoping to uncork another strong finish that has anchored her exploits in the past, including in the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open here at MGC last February.

“I played good and enjoyed my game. That’s it,” said Saso, who however didn’t bother to predict what score she would need to reign again at MGC and record her third crown on the LPGT.

“I’m not concerned on what score to shoot but will just play and enjoy my game,” she said.

Japanese Mina Nakayama likewise tamed the frontside with a 34 for a 69 as she pressed her bid at 140, just three strokes off Chang heading to the final round of the event sponsored by ICTSI and co-sanctioned by the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) and Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

The rest could be too far behind with Noritomo of Japan (68), Thai Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro (71) and Taiwan’s Hsuan Chen, Yui (72) pooling identical 141s although anything can happen in a pressure-packed finale under such hot, windy conditions.

Babe Liu, the top-ranked player from the crack Taiwan side, also battled back with a 68 to gain solo eighth at even 142 while local ace Pauline del Rosario blew a birdie-birdie start at the back with a rollercoaster game, ending up with three more birdies but fumbling with six bogeys. She wound up with a 72 and fell to joint ninth at 143 with Thai Chommapat Pongthanarak (73) and Ching-Ling Chang of Taiwan (74).

Princess Superal checked her skid with two birdies in the last six at the front but the reigning Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion could only turn in a 72 and lay way behind at 146, nine strokes off the leader, with fellow pre-tournament favorite Yupaporn Kawinpakorn (74), Nemittra Juntanaket of Thailand (72) and Japanese Wakana Kinjo (72).

Others who advanced at 152 were Japanese Aya Ishikawa (72), Mayumi Chinzei (76) and Mimori Shiii (79) and Thais Wad Phaewchimplee (73) and Pannapa Polnamin (75), along with the likes of former three-time LPGT OOM winner Cyna Rodriguez (73) and Symetra Tour veteran Mia Piccio (79), along with Thais Saraporn Chamchoi (76) and Chakansim Khamborn (81) who all pooled 153s.