April 2 ------ Yuka Saso posted a closing 1-under-par 71 to finish tied at 13th place in the LPGA Ford Championship in Arizona.
Starting the round one stroke behind co-leaders Carlota Ciganda, Hyo Joo Kim and Sarah Schmelzel, the Fil-Japanese slowly lost her rhythm at the Seville Golf and Country Club by shooting two bogeys in the first four holes before trying to make up with three birdies. But it wasn’t enough to clinch the crown as world No. 1 Nelly Korda zoomed with a bogey-free 65 to snare her third straight victory on the LPGA Tour and the $337,500 champion’s purse.
Saso tallied a four-round total of 15-under 273 after earlier rounds of 70, 63 and 69, five strokes behind Korda, who finished with a 268. Hira Naveed settled for the runner-up honors, finishing two shots behind Korda with a 270 after a final round 66. She fired seven birdies against a lone bogey on the par-4 ninth hole. 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. She also went home with the $30,795 consolation prize (around P1.7 million).
Source: mb.com.ph
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