YUKA Saso stumbled with a 74 yesterday and slumped to a crowded 10-way tie for 15th place going into the final round of the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at the Dumbarnie Links in Fife, Scotland.
After shooting 67 and 72in the first two rounds, Saso found the going rough, bogged down by three of her four bogeys from the ninth to the 12th, before closing out with back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th over the tight, par-72, 6,584-yard course in the Scottish city overlooking the North Sea.
With a three-day total of 213, the reigning US Women’s champion and Tokyo Olympic Games veteran stood six shots behind frontrunners Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, Ryann O’Toole of the US and Charley Hull of England, who had 72, 68 and 69, respectively.
Usually steady with her drives, Saso only hit 10 of the 14 fairways and nine of 18 greens in regulation.
The tournament was the 2018 Asian Games double gold medalist’s first competition on the US LPGA tour since finishing in a 10-way tie for seventh place in her Olympic debut at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, Japan a week ago. — Bong Pedralvez
