Asian Games gold medalist Yuka Saso shot a final round of one-over par 72 to finish tied for 13th with seven others in the rain-delayed 2020 US Women’s Open Monday at the Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.
The Filipino-Japanese bet came back with a better performance after shooting six-over in the third round last Saturday. She played five holes Sunday when play was halted due to heavy rain.
Her share of 13th place earned Saso $96,800 or approximately P4.6 million.
That adds up to her earnings of P43 million in 12 tournaments, which leads the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour where she won two events that earned her an invite to the US Women’s Open.
Through five holes, the 19-year-old Saso had a bogey on 3, and when play finally resumed the next day, she had a second bogey on 7 but recovered immediately with a birdie on 8 for a 37.
Saso made back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 before she committed a double bogey on 17.
It was some sort of a rebound performance for Saso since she finished the third round tied for 25th to 32nd following a 77. Saso was two-under in the tournament after a first round 69, and was two-shots back behind the leader through two rounds after a 71.
The double-gold medalist in the Asian Games – as Saso also powered the women’s squad to the title back in 2018 in Indonesia – finished tied with seven others at 289 in the tournament.
Lydia Ko, a two-time majors champion, had a final round 76.
With them from 13th to 20th are Japan’s Eri Okayama, Sweden’s Linnea Strom, South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu, as well as amateurs Gabriela Ruffels of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.
A Lim Kim of South Korea won the event on her U.S. Women's Open debut with a final round 67 that gave her a four-day total of 281 for a one-shot victory over fellow Korean Jin Young Ko.
Ko, who had a 68, shared second and third spots with American Amy Olson with similar 282, while Japan’s Hinako Shibuno finished solo fourth at 283, and fifth was American Megan Khang at 285.
South Korea’s Inbee Park, a seven-time majors winner, placed sixth to ninth spots at 286 with compatriot Jeongeun Lee6 and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn, whose sister Ariya shared ninth and 10th with amateur Katliyn Papp of the US 287, while at 11th to 12th were MinYougn2 Lee of Korea and Sayaka Takahasi of Japan at 288.