By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Yuka Saso slightly recovered from a bad start and closed out with 1-under-par 71 to finish in joint 13th place in the LPGA Ford Championship in Arizona on Sunday, March 31.
Starting the round just a stroke behind co-leaders Carlota Ciganda, Hyo Joo Kim and Sarah Schmelzel, the Fil-Japanese practically shot herself in the foot by bogeying two of the first four holes at the Seville Golf and Country Club.
Though she managed to right the ship, making three birdies, including the 18th, it was too late for her as the rest, especially world No. 1 Nelly Korda, rampaged their way, leaving her in their wake.
Korda zoomed to her third straight win with a bogey-free 65 for a 268 total to pocket the $337,500 champion’s purse
Saso got $30,795 prize (roughly P1.7 million) after tallying a four-round total of 15-under 273 after earlier rounds of 70, 63 and 69, five strokes behind Korda.
Hira Naveed settled for the runner-up honors, finishing two shots behind Korda with a 270 after a final round 66.
Ciganda, for her part, lost her grip of the overnight lead and ended up tied for third after registering a 70 for 271.
Mi Hyang Lee, Frida Kinhult and Lexi Thompson, who fired 68s, and Maja Stark, who carded a 69, shared identical aggregates with Ciganda.
Despite failing to sustain her strong performances in the previous two rounds, it was still the best finish for Saso in her fourth appearance in the LPGA Tour this year.
She finished tied for 27th at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship last week, joint 17th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and tied for 16th at the Honda LPGA Thailand both last month.
