JUST fives holes into Korean So Yeon Ryu's third round at Royal Pines yesterday she'd opened up a five-shot lead in the Australian Ladies Masters and it began to look as though the final round was, to borrow a line from the great Walter Hagen, just a matter of: "Who's going to run second today?"
But, her birdie flood of Friday's 11 under 61 suddenly dried up, as so often is the case with players failing to follow up a great round with equal greatness, and the challengers came thick and fast.
First was Frances Bondad, the 24-year-old Sydney lass, who fired a nine under 63 to move to 13 under through 54 holes, then Korean Ha-Neul Kim reeled off a 64 to move to 15 under.
The birdies and eagles were flowing from those chasing Ryu and Dutchwoman Christel Boeljon, who started the day four behind the ever-smiling Korean 21-year-old.
Italian Diana Luna came home in 30 - six under - after going out level par. Her 66 put her at 15 under beside Kim tied in third behind Ryu, who finally found a little magic with birdies at the final two holes to sign for a 69 and a 20-under tally, and Boeljon, who had 68 to be just two behind.
Ryu's first five holes yesterday were straight from the previous day's script - par, bogey, birdie, birdie, birdie - that were exactly same numbers and she looked in total, even supreme, control. She made a couple of bogeys but her demeanour never changed just that same gracious smile and a wave to the cameras as she passed.
Maybe we'll see the Friday Ryu in today's denouement that is far from a foregone conclusion we earlier thought it would be. The fat lady is yet to be sighted, let alone open her mouth.
''Today my shots are not good. I think I used a lot of energy yesterday. I think tomorrow will be better,'' she said. Ominous words for those in the chasing pack.
Bondad's 63 was relatively slow in the preparation - three under for the day through 11 holes - but then came to the boil with six birdies in her last seven holes and she is now in there with a sniff if she taps herself three times before hitting off.
Keep reading for the explanation.
Her Twitter account to introduce herself says: "Made in the Philippines, born in the USA and proud to be an Australian." .
She won the Australian Amateur Championship in 2007 and, for the past three years, has played the Ladies European Tour with the 2011 season turning around back in October when she went to see an osteopath. It turned out he had a few other tricks as well.
She'd found him on the Internet - a Dr Adam Nichols, a specialist holistic practitioner in Sydney - who sorted her injury problem and then suggested he'd like to examine, well, what was going on in her mind. He also uses hypno-kinesiology that sent her away with a far more positive outlook.
Put simply, he is also a psychologist who not only deals with sports people. Bondad's key to unlocking her mind is to tap both feet together three times, or tap her thigh three times.
Some might think it all a bit of mumbo jumbo but, hell, whatever works. It has for Bondad. Two weeks after her first visit to Dr Nichols she won her first LET event in China - and she saw him again last week during the NSW Women's Open. Now, yesterday's 63, her best round as a professional.
Fellow Australian Katherine Hull had no need of a shrink after missing the cut. Her remedy was heading to the practice range with caddie Vern Tess for a long session before this week's Women's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.
American Stacy Lewis who won the first major of 2011 for the women - the Nabisco - battled to make the cut on Friday with three birdies in the last five holes, and shot 67 to confirm the US winter rust is just about off.
Her mind is on the open at Royal Melbourne and, late last year, she collared Greg Norman at his Medallist course in Florida to seek his views on how to play Australia's most famous course.
The shark won two of his five men's open there, and was captain of the losing International team to the US in last year's Presidents Cup at RM. She reckons she is now ready for what lies ahead.
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