By WAYLON GALVEZ
Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso carded a six-over par 77 as she dropped from sixth to joint 25th in the leaderboard of the 2020 US Women’s Open Saturday at the Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.
Saso, the 19-year-old reigning Asian Games gold medalist, struggled with five bogeys – the most she had so far in the tournament – plus a double bogey on the par-4 11th.
Her solitary birdie came on the par-3 12th.
Saso’s performance dropped her to a tie for 25th to 32nd places with six other golfers at four-over par 217, which includes two-time major winner Stacey Lewis of the United States who also had a round of 77.
With them at 217 are Japan’s Eri Okayama and Sayaka Takahashi, Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and Linnea Strom, American Jennifer Kupcho, and amateur Pauline Roussin-Bouchard of France.
The group is eight shots behind leader Hinako Shibuno of Japan at 209 as the Women’s British Open champion last year fired a 74 to take a one-shot lead on American Amy Olson, who is at 210 after a 71.
In joint third and fourth spots are Ji Yeong Kim of South Korea and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn at 212, followed by Americans Yealimi Noh, Megan Khang, and Kaitlyn Papp, and former two-time major winner Lydia Ko of New Zealand all at 213.
Saso, who briefly had the lead through nine holes in the opening round of the tournament, was just at two-under entering the third round at joint sixth with seven other golfers.
However, two straight bogeys on 3 and 4 gave her a 38 on the front-nine. Saso started the last nine holes with a third bogey on 10, then committed a double bogey on 11 before she finally nailed a birdie on 12.
Saso, a rookie in the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, also bogeyed on 15 and 18 – the second time she bogeyed the hole on Cypress Creek Course after a birdied on 18 on the Jackrabbit Course.
She received an invite in the prestigious event after winning two legs in the Japan LPGA Tour where she has so far earned an estimated amount of P43 million in 12 tournaments.
