Thursday, May 8, 2008

Salonpas Cup Thursday: The Return of Na Zhang?

Despite her top 5 finish on last year's JLPGA money list, #13 ranking in our Best off the LPGA system, and #27 position in the latest Rolex Rankings, Na Zhang has been MIA thus far this season--her best total score has only been -2 and her best finish has only been T21. Thus is it something of a surprise that she made 6 birdies on Thursday and leads a star-studded field at the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup at -4.

Close on her trail are last week's come-from-behind winner Miho Koga (-3), Ji-Hee Lee and Tamie Durdin (-2), and a big group at -1, including Akiko Fukushima, Mi-Jeong Jeon, and Yukari Baba. Further behind but still within striking range in this 72-hole major are Ayako Uehara and Yuko Mitsuka (E, T13), Ji-Yai Shin, Sakura Yokomine, and Shiho Ohyama (+1, T19), and Miki Saiki, Bo-Bae Song, and Hyun-Ju Shin (+2, T27).

Se Ri Pak, Bettina Hauert, Shinobu Moromizato, and Midori Yoneyama (+3, T41), Yun-Jye Wei (+4, T49), Yuri Fudoh, Erina Hara, and Hiroko Yamaguchi (+5, T69), and Akane Iijima, Hiromi Mogi, and Kaori Higo (+6, T80) will all need to keep one eye on the cut line and one eye on the top of the leaderboard as they try to recover from disappointing starts.

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