Saso overcomes challenges to stay in US Women's Open hunt

MANILA, Philippines -- Yuka Saso used grit and poise to navigate a challenging start and a late setback, finishing with a one-over 71 to slip to joint third halfway through the US Women’s Open now led by Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai at the Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.

Saso, who shot a stellar 68 Thursday (Friday Manila time), attributed part of her initial success to a bit of luck, which seemed to elude her Friday (Saturday here). The demanding course setup at Lancaster continued to challenge the elite field, and Saso found herself dropping off the leaderboard with consecutive bogeys from No. 11 despite an early tee-time.

Still, she fought back with two birdies against another bogey over the next 15 holes, ultimately carding a 36-37 for a 36-hole haul of 139.

“We started early, and the conditions were less windy, but my game wasn’t as sharp as the first round. My putting wasn’t as fortunate this time, but I still managed to perform pretty well,” said Saso, who needed two more putts than her opening round of 27.

Initially leading after the first 18 holes, Saso’s strategy was to stay focused on each shot and enjoy the game without getting ahead of herself.
A rocky start, however, necessitated a mental adjustment.

“After those two bogeys, it was tough to stay calm, especially in a major. But conversations with my caddie and flightmates helped a lot,” she said. “I needed to concentrate on each shot and enjoy the moment.”

On her last hole, No. 9, she aimed for a birdie from long range. As her putt rolled toward the hole, it struck flightmate Hannah Green’s oversized marker. This unexpected obstacle left her shaking her head, now facing a challenging par putt. Undeterred, she calmly sank the pressure-packed putt.

Despite the challenges, Saso, whose campaign is sponsored by ICTSI, maintained a positive outlook on her 73, given the tough playing conditions. Winner of this premier major in 2021, Saso is now three strokes behind Meechai.

The Thai took the lead with an impressive 67, highlighted by four consecutive birdies from No. 10, and now stands at 136, two strokes ahead of Andrea Lee, who shot a second straight 69 for a 138.

Minjee Lee also carded a 69 to tie Saso at third.

Determined to stay in contention, Saso vowed to regroup and fuel her drive for another shot at the championship.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda, after a sterling season start, missed the cut by two strokes. Despite a strong attempt to recover from a disastrous first round 80 with a 70, her performance wasn’t enough to secure a spot into the weekend of the $12-million championship, She ended up with a 10-over 150 for joint 83rd.

Filipina amateur Junia Gabasa showed improvement, following her 85 with an 81, finishing tied at 153rd for a 166 in her biggest golf appearance.
Other notable players who missed the cut were Moriya Jutanugarn (75-149), Linn Grant (77-149), Ariya Jutanugarn (75-150), Leona Maguire (77-150), Rose Zhang (72-151), world No. 1 amateur Ingrid Lindblad (74-151), Brooke Henderson (72-152), Jennifer Kupcho (75-152), In Gee Chun (77-152), Lydia Ko (73-153) and Patty Tavatanakit (77-73).

Lexi Thompson, who played her first US Women’s Open in 2007 at age 12, shot a 75 for a 153.

Thompson, with 11 LPGA Tour titles, including a major in 2014, two European Tour crowns and one LPGA Tour of Japan championship, made a tearful exit in what she announced would be her last year of a full playing schedule at age 29.