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Nasu leads Kosaido Ladies

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Posted: Saturday May 29, 1999 12:44 PM

ICHIHARA, Japan (AP) -- Mineko Nasu shot a 1-under-par 71 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead going into the final round of the 60 million yen (dlrs 490,000) Kosaido Ladies.

Nasu, teeing off one shot off the pace, birdied the first hole but double-bogeyed No. 7 before adding two more birdies on the back nine en route to a 3-under 141 total for two rounds.

On the 175-yard (159-meter), par-3 seventh, Nasu reached the green in three after her tee shot sliced into a sand trap. She then two-putted for a double-bogey 5.

"I had to putt 29 times today, many more times than I had to yesterday," Nasu said. Her putts totaled 21 in her opening round of 70. "But I have so far been able to puttogether a low score because I could manage to stay cool."

"I used to get upset when I missed an easy putt before. But today I was able to contain irritation on a number of occasions," she said.

The 27-year-old Nasu, in the fourth year of her career, is in contention for her first victory on the regular tour. On the minor tour, se has won two tournaments, both in 1997.

One shot behind Nasu were a pair of rookies -- overnight leader Midori Yoneyama, who shot a second-round 73, and Orie Fujino, who had the day's best score of 69.

Fujino, who qualified for the tour last August along with Yoneyama, birdied three consecutive holes from No. 2 to post the day's only sub-70 round over the 6,246-yard (5,684-meter) Chiba Kosaido Country Club course.

Junko Yasui nd Mayumi Murai had 70s to share fourth at 1-under 143 with South Korean Kim Ae-sook and Miyuki Shimabukuro, who shot 72s.

Fumiko Muraguchi, seeking her third straight victory, eagled the 340-yard, par-4 13th but had to settle for a 73 and a tie for ninth at 145.

A total of 54 players urvived the cut at 6-over 150. Big names missing the cut included Ayako Okamoto, winner of the Katokichi Queens on May 2.

 

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