19-year-old Yuka Saso claimed her first major victory by beating Japan’s Nasa Hataoka with a birdie on the third play-off hole on Sunday at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.
19-year-old Filipino Yuka Saso won the US Open Women’s Golf, beating Japan’s Nasa Hataoka with a birdie on the third play-off hole on Sunday at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Saso, who was in 2nd place the day before, started her 4th lap badly by committing two double-bogeys on holes 2 and 3, but she managed two birdies at the end to avoid being overtaken by Hataoka. The latter, 6th the day before, made an impressive comeback, making the best card (68) of the day. The two golfers could not decide on the first two holes of the play-offs, before Saso made the difference on the third at 9.
Saso upset
“I was actually upset,” she said of the two double bogeys on her first three holes, which seemed to ruin her chances. “My caddy spoke to me and told me there were still a lot of holes to play.” Throughout the week, Saso enjoyed vocal support from fans in the nearby town of Daly, which is home to a large Filipino population.
Yuka Saso becomes the first Filipino player to win a Golf Major and promises to be a new force in the game with this first title. At 19 years, 11 months and 17 days, Saso equaled South Korean Park Inbee as the youngest Major champion. Saso, who revealed earlier in the tournament that she had tried to emulate the swing of quadruple major male champion Rory McIlroy, received encouragement from the Northern Irishman on social media on Sunday, which she said gave it a boost.
“Rory said, ‘Get that trophy,’ and I did. So thank you, Rory, ”she laughs today.
Thompson collapses
Lexi Thompson, who was leading by four strokes halfway through the final round, had a heartbreaking collapse on the last nine holes. The 26-year-old American had her second major title in sight, but lost her accuracy off the tee in the last nine holes and missed crucial putts on the 17th and 18th that would have got her off too. in play off.
The popular American, who was playing in her 15th US Open, only managed a disappointing 75 on Sunday. “I didn’t play very well today with a few bogeys on the last nine but the fans were amazing, hearing the chants gives me one more reason to play golf,” she said.
Next year’s US Open will be played at Pine Needles Golf Club in North Carolina before it returns to California at Pebble Beach in 2023.
Classification after the 4th round (par 71):
1. Yuka Saso (PHI) -4 (69-67-71-73) (3e trou de play-off)
2. Nasa Hataoka (JPN) -4 (72-69-71-68)
3. Lexi Thompson (USA) -3 (69-71-66-75)
4. Feng Shanshan (CHN) -2 (69-70-72-71)
. Megan Khang (USA) -2 (68-70-74-70)
6. Angel Yin (USA) 0 (68-79-67-70)
7. Brooke Henderson (CAN) 1 (68-78-69-70)
. Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) 1 (71-70-74-70)
. Jin Young Ko (KOR) 1 (70-74-72-69)
. Lin Xiyu (CHN) 1 (72-74-72-67)
. Inbee Park (KOR) 1 (71-69-73-72)
… etc.
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