RANCHO MIRAGE, California - Yuka Saso faded badly in her last five holes and tumbled down the leaderboard in the LPGA's first major of the season after a five-over par 77 on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).
The 19-year old Fil-Japanese started the day at joint 12th on four-under par and was still hanging around at three-under through 13 holes of the ANA Inspiration in sweltering heat at Mission Hills.
But a double-bogey at the par-3 14th hole led to a late collapse for Saso, who bogeyed the 15th and 17th holes and settled for par in the reachable par-5 closing hole.
The 40 on the backside sent the Japanese tour mainstay reeling to a share of 53rd place at one-over 253 with one round to go in her maiden appearance in the LPGA Tour this season.
The other Filipina in the field, Bianca Pagdanganan, failed to make the halfway cut.
Saso is now 15 shots off the pace set by Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit, who opened a five-stroke lead with a striking combination of power and touch.
A stroke ahead after each of the first two rounds at Mission Hills, the 21-year-old Thai player shot a 5-under 67 in 100-degree heat Saturday to reach 14-under 202 in the first major championship of the year.
Tavatanakit matched the tournament 54-hole record set by Pernilla Lindberg in her 2018 victory. Dottie Pepper set the overall mark of 19 under in 1999.
Defending champion Mirim Lee and Ally Ewing were second at 9 under in the event being played without spectators for the second time in seven months.
Lee shot a 68, wearing a facemask while she played. The South Korean player won the postponed event in September for her first major title.
Ewing had a bogey-free 66. The American won last year at Reynolds Lake Oconee for her first tour title, playing then under her maiden name of McDonald.
Shanshan Feng, a stroke behind playing partner Tavatanakit entering the round, was 8 under after a 72. The Chinese star is making her first start after sitting out 16 months because of the coronavirus pandemic and a visa delay.
Inbee Park and Charley Hull were 7 under.
Park shot a 70. The 2013 winner at Mission Hills, she won last week in her first start of the year.
Hull had a triple bogey on No. 3 and a closing bogey in a 71.
Americans Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis and Jessica Korda were undone by big numbers.
Lewis played the first 13 holes in 8 under, then made a triple bogey on 14 in a 67 that left her 4 under.
Korda was the first player on and off the course, teeing off by herself at 7:55 a.m. and finishing a 68 in 2 hours, 52 minutes. She closed with a double bogey to fall to 3 under after laying up into a divot and hitting her third shot into the water.
Thompson finished with a quadruple-bogey 9 for a 75 to fall to 1 over. The 2014 winner had a triple bogey on No. 3. - With reports from Associated Press
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
