Saso banks P1.3 million

MANILA, Philippines — Fil-Japanese Yuka Saso finished joint 29th in the LPGA Founders Cup while Pinay aces Dottie Ardina and Clariss Guce shared 13th in the Epson Tour’s Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic in separate locations Sunday.

Saso birdied four of the last 10 holes to make up for two bogeys and card a closing one-under 70 en route to a final three-under 285 in the $3-million event in New Jersey.

The 22-year-old former US Women’s Open titlist earned $22,504 (around P1.3 million) as she finished 21 shots off Rose Zhang, who claimed her second professional triumph with a closing 66 for 264 overall, beating Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom (266 after a fourth-round 69) by two.

Over in Scottsdale, Arizona, Ardina matched par 71 while erstwhile contender Guce stumbled with a 73 to miss out on a Top 10 finish.

Ardina, fresh from her joint second effort in last week’s Casino del Sol Golf Classic, closed with a two-birdie, two-bogey round for a 278 total, eight short of the winning 270 of Chinese Ruixin Lu (64).