Thailand’s Prima Thammarak rose from the sick bed to post a five-under-par 67, snatching the second round clubhouse lead as inclement weather suspended play at the Singapore Ladies Masters on Friday.
Chinese Taipei’s Chang Tzu-yi signed for a 70 to trail Prima by one shot while Malaysia’s Genevieve Ling and Thailand’s Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong -who were among the 64 players who finished their round at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club, are two shots back from Prima with their matching four-under-par 140 total.
Prima, who opened her campaign with a 71, stormed out of the blocks with three birdies in her first four holes. She dropped a shot on eight but recovered quickly with another birdie on nine.
Despite stumbling with another two bogeys on 10 and 15 in her back-nine, Prima picked up further gains on holes 11, 13, 14 and 17 to move closer to her second win on the China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA).
“I was actually a bit sick on the first day. I slept a lot over the last two days. I think it was like almost 20 hours combined over the two nights. So, I felt very rested this morning and I was able to think more clearly after that. I was able to hit more fairways, gave myself more opportunities and my putter was working really nicely.
“My parents are here from Thailand to support me. When I was sick the first night, that was not pretty. I’m very happy they managed to see some good golf shots to make up for that today. It’s nice to have them around and on the course with me,” said Prima.
Ling is bracing herself for a final day charge as she seeks her breakthrough on the CLPGA. The Malaysian turned professional in 2017 and has played on several tours, including the Ladies European Tour, Korea LPGA, Taiwan LPGA, China LPGA and Women’s All Pro Tour in the United States.
She is also no stranger to competing in Singapore and remains hopeful of a grandstand finish in the Lion City.
“It’s great to be in this position. The putts were rolling well and that’s important. You always strive to go out there and play your best
“I’ve got the strategy for the course down and it’s just putting myself in good positions off the tee and necessarily have to hit it as far as possible. You attack the pins when you can and play safe when you cannot,” said Ling.
The Singapore Ladies Masters is a 54-hole stroke-play format that features an international field of 132 players from 14 countries and regions, battling for the total prize purse of US$100,000. It is the fifth leg of the 2023 CLPGA season after stops in Tianjin, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.
