Furue takes control; Pagdanganan, Saso rebound

MANILA, Philippines -- What she lacked in length, Ayaka Furue made up with her exceptional putting as she came away with a four-under 68 to wrest control by two in the third round of the Women’s World Championship at Sentosa’s Tanjong Course in Singapore Saturday.

The diminutive Japanese showcased her putting prowess early, birdying the first two holes to take command and efficiently navigating a late downpour with crucial pars to move on top of the stellar field at 10-under 206.

Australian Hannah Green likewise used a fiery start of three birdies in the first eight holes then birdied two of the last three to shoot a 67, placing her in the challenger’s role at 208.

Meanwhile, halfway leader Celine Boutier struggled early on, reeling back with three bogeys against a birdie after six holes. But the Frenchwoman made a spectacular eagle from the rough on the par-5 No. 8 then settled for a run of pars to save a 72.

The former major winner, however, slipped to joint third at 209 with American Andrea Lee, who overcame a mishap on No. 3 with six birdies on her way to a 67.

Defending back-to-back champion Jin Young Ko also sizzled in moving day, hitting four birdies in the last seven holes to post the day’s best score of 66 as the Solaire-backed former world No. 1 tied for fifth with three others at 210, four strokes off the pace.

Other six-under overall scorers were Korean Hye Jin Choi, who shot a 69, and Taiwanese Peiyun Chien and Japanese Nasa Hataoka, who matched 70s.

Bianca Pagdanganan broke a run of backside pars with three birdies in a frontside finish as she carded a bogey-free 69 to improve to a share of 28th at 216. ICTSI teammate, on the other hand, Yuka Saso fired a 68 for joint 33nd at 217 with five others, including Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee, who turned in 71 and 72, respectively.

Furue relied on her accuracy with a 244-yard driving clip, hitting 11 fairways and though she missed six greens, she flashed her putting skills with a 26-putt performance on the slick putting surface.

Just a stroke behind Boutier Friday, Furue birdied the first two holes to move on top and stayed in control with birdies on No. 5 and 7, threatening to pull away by three or four shots