Saso seeks to snap spell vs Korda, Boutier

MANILA, Philippines – Without a tournament win halfway through the LPGA Tour season — and for over a year, Yuka Saso isn’t a bit bothered for the extended spell and remains as confident as ever as she sets out for the Amundi Evian Championship beginning Thursday in Evian-les-Bains, France (Friday, Manila time).

She missed vying in this fourth major championship last year to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics, making her doubly thrilled for her first foray in the 72-hole $6.5 million event, not just for slugging it out again with the best and the brightest but more so for being able to test and play on the tough Evian Resort Golf Club course, the only major venue in women’s game never to have moved.

But she will be as much tested as the rest of the stellar field right in the first 36 holes with no less American Nelly Korda and Frenchwoman Celine Boutier as her rivals in the 1:15 p.m. flight on No. 10 in one of the marquee matchups kicking off the chase for the top $975,000 purse.

The ICTSI-backed Saso has faced Korda, who has slipped to world No. 3 heading to this week’s battle, in the Pelican Championship last year, holding her ground in the first two days with 68-64, only to slow down with a 70 in the pivotal round before ending up 14th with a closing 67.

In contrast, Korda outshot her with 65-66 then stamped her class over the entire field with a third round 63 and went on to win with a 69.

But Saso hopes to turn it around this week, at least in the first two days she’d be mixing it up with the former world No. 1, coming in fresh from a long rest after finishing tied at 30th in the third major, the Women’s PGA Championship last month.

But focus will also be on a slew of top opening day duels, including Korean world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Swede Anna Nordqvist at 8:15 a.m.; defending champion Minjee Lee of Australia, Korean reigning PGA Championship winner In Gee Chun and American Jennifer Kupcho at 8:27 a.m.; and multi-major winner Inbee Park, also of Korea, Linn Grant of Sweden and American Angela Standord at 1:27 p.m., all on No. 10.

No Filipina has earned a berth in this week’s championship but the likes of Thais Atthaya Thitikul, Patty Tavatanakit and siblings Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn are in the cast, along with Japanese Nasa Hataoka, Hinako Shibuno and Ayaka Furue.

But Saso, who has opted to carry the Japanese colors at the start of the season, has time and again stressed she’s a Filipina, basking in glory as the nation toasted her major breakthrough in the US Women’s Open last year.

But it has been quite a struggle since that record feat although she has posted four top five finishes to close out the 2021 season. But after a sixth and third place finishes in the first two LPGA events this year, the 21-year-old ace has failed to turn in at least at Top 10 finish, her joint 12th effort in the Cognizant Founders Cup last May proving her best in a campaign marred by three missed cuts in her last five tournaments.