Saso takes 2nd win in JLPGA Tour, gets P16.5M cash reward
Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso won by two strokes with a one-under par 71 which gave her the Japan LPGA Nitori Ladies golf tournament title Sunday at the Otaru Country Golf Club in Hokkaido, Japan.
Despite a double bogey on 2, the double gold medalist in the 2018 Asian Games showed tremendous poise to win her second title in the Japan Tour and pocket the cash prize of P16.5 million.
Saso finished 13-under for the tournament with a four-day total of 275, while Sakura Koiwai had 277, followed by Mikashima Kana, Yu Hamada and Lee Chihime of South Korea all at 285 for third to fifth places.
The 19-year-old Saso, a tour rookie, initially won the NEC Karuizawa Tournament early this month.
It was, however, a thrilling final round as local bet Koiwai put the pressure on Saso.
The Filipino-Japanese squandered her one-shot lead through 54 holes after a double-bogey on 2, which gave Koiwai one stroke advantage. A birdie by Saso on 4, and then a bogey-birdie on 3 and 4 by Koiwai gave them share of lead.
Saso’s birdie on 6 gave her a one-shot lead.
Overall, Saso converted five birdies, nailing it on 4, 6, 7, 9 and 12, but had bogeys on 11 and 15.
The birdie on 12 by Saso gave her a two-shot lead, and after bogeys by Koiwai on 15 and 16, Saso had stretched her distance to a three-shot advantage in the faltering Japanese.
Koiwai still made it interesting when she birdied on 17 – her fourth.
A bogey by Saso on 18 and birdie by Koiwai could have forced a playoff, but the Filipino bet was not to be denied as she calmly saved par to win the championship – her second in pro career that started last year.