Yuka Saso wins second US Women’s Open golf crown
LANCASTER: Japan’s Yuka Saso powered away on the back nine to win her second US Women’s Open title Sunday, carding a two-under-par 68 for a threeshot victory at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. Saso finished with a four-under-par total of 276 to claim her second LPGA tour title three years after winning the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco - when she represented the Philippines. “It feels great,” said Saso, whose mother is from the Philippines and father from Japan. “Winning in 2021 I represented the Philippines, I feel like I was able to give back to my mom. This year I was able to represent Japan, and I think I was able to give back to my dad. “It’s just a wonderful feeling that I was able to give back to my parents in the same way.”
Saso became just the third player, after South Koreans Pak Se-ri and Chun In-gee, to make her first two LPGA wins major titles, and at 22 she’s the youngest player to win the US Women’s Open twice. To do it, Saso shook off a four-putt double-bogey at the par-three sixth, grabbing birdies at four holes in a five-hole stretch from the 12th through the 16th to pull away as a trio of overnight co-leaders headlined by Australia’s Minjee Lee faded.
“I just tried to be patient out there,” Saso said. “I think that’s what you need to win a major like this - just have fun playing with the playing partners and enjoy the challenge.” Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, who won the 2019 Women’s British Open in her major championship debut, carded a two-over-par 72 to finish second on one-under 279. Shibuno was a stroke clear of overnight co-leader Andrea Lee of the United States and American Ally Ewing. Ewing climbed the leaderboard with a four-under 66 while Lee carded a five-over 75. Third-round co-leader Wichanee Meechai of Thailand shot a 77 to finish in a group on 282 while two-time major winner Minjee Lee endured a nightmare round of 78 to fall into a group on 283. Australia’s Lee still had a two-shot lead at the turn, despite failing to find a fairway on the front nine.—AFP