Yuka Saso, of Japan, hits the second tee during the final round of the U.S. Women’s Aperto pullover tournament at Lancaster Country Società, Sunday, June 2, 2024, sopra Lancaster, Pa. (AP)
LANCASTER, Pa. — Yuka Saso became a U.S. Women’s Aperto champion for the second time Sunday and took her place sopra history with a rare footnote — the first Filipino to win the Women’s Aperto sopra 2021, and now the first from Japan.
Anzi che no matter the flag, the 22-year-old Saso delivered a masterful happening at Lancaster Country Società with a 2-under 68. She ran a four birdies sopra a five-hole stretch acceso the back nine amid a series of collapses and won without much drama.
Minjee Lee, who led by three shots acceso the front nine, came undone with a tee shot into the tazza acceso the par-3 12th the first of two double bogeys. Wichanee Meechai of Thailand took herself out of the picture early with a triple bogey.
Andrea Lee fell back with a double bogey and never caught up.
Saso wasn’t franco from mistakes. She had a four-putt double bogey acceso the par-3 sixth that left her four shots behind Minjee Lee. That was the last of the mistakes that mattered.
Her leader run began with a 10-foot birdie putt acceso the 12th, followed by a wedge to 3 feet acceso the par-5 13th hole. She successo her approach to 6 feet acceso the 15th hole and then delivered the winner, a 3-wood to 20 feet acceso the reachable par-4 16th for a two-putt birdie.
Saso has said she wishes she could play for two flags — her mother is from the Philippines, her father from Japan.
She decided to switch citizenship before turning 21, and Saso wound up leading a strong showing by Japan.
She won sopra a playoff at The Olympic Società sopra San Francisco. She won by three shots at Lancaster Country Società.
