Golf: China's Yin Ruoning edges Yuka Saso to win Women's PGA Championship

NEW YORK -- China's Yin Ruoning sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole on Sunday to win the Women's PGA Championship for her first major title.

The 20-year-old from Shanghai fired a four-under par 67 to finish 72 holes at Baltusrol on eight-under 276 and defeat Japan's Yuka Saso by one stroke.

Yin took the $1.5 million top prize and became only the second woman from China to win a major title after Feng Shanshan, who captured the 2012 Women's PGA crown.

"It's amazing," Yin said. "It's just unreal."

Saso, a 22-year-old Philippine-born Japanese star who won the 2021 US Women's Open, birdied the par-5 18th to match Yin for the lead at 7-under on the rain-soaked layout at Springfield, New Jersey.

Yin answered by landing her approach 10 feet from the hole and rolled in the tension-packed birdie putt for the victory in the year's second women's major tournament.

"After the tee shot I saw Yuka make an incredible birdie here, I knew I had to make birdie at this hole to win the championship and I'm glad I did it," Yin said.

An early afternoon storm halted play for almost two hours, but after play resumed Yin birdied the 13th and 14th to grab a share of the lead, parred the next three holes as rivals faltered, and won at the last after hitting every green in regulation in the final two rounds.

"For last couple days, my ball striking was perfect," Yin said. "I only missed six greens in four days so I think my ball striking was pretty good.

"My goal for today, just no three-putts. And I did it too. I didn't think too much. Just no three-putts Because last few days I made five bogeys and four of them were three-putts."

A third-place pack on 278 included Spain's Carlota Ciganda, Sweden's Anna Nordqvist, China's Lin Xiyu, American Megan Khang and Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow.

Japan's Ayaka Furue, South Korean Jenny Shin and American Rose Zhang shared eighth on 279.

Yin had joined Feng as the only Chinese women to win an LPGA title when she captured the LA Open in April.

Among those unable to match Yin down the stretch was Lin, who shared the lead when the storm struck.

"It's pretty amazing," Lin said of Yin's victory. "She's young and she's so talented. She's definitely really good at dealing with pressure. It's great to see that."

Yin rents a house in Orlando from Lin and said she hadn't thought about how her rent might now get higher.

"Actually, I'm thinking about buying her house right now," Yin said.

- 'I've got goosebumps' -

Shin and Lin were deadlocked atop the leaderboard when play resumed after the storm but seven others were within two strokes.

Lin held the lead alone after Shin made a bogey at the eighth and kept it until Yin birdied the 13th and 14th and Saso made her fourth birdie in six holes at 15 to share the lead on 7-under, although Saso stumbled with a bogey at 16.

Lin found water off the tee at the par-5 18th and closed with a bogey to leave Yin alone in the lead.

Saso responded with a tap-in birdie at 18 to share the lead, setting the stage for Yin's closing heroics.

"I actually kind of felt that I was going to make it and I made it," Yin said. "It's a very weird feeling."

She joined a list of major winners at Baltusrol that includes Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and women's icon Mickey Wright.

"I've got goosebumps," Yin said. "They're all legends. I'm glad that I can be part of it."

Yin hopes her victory can boost golf in China.

"I think it means a lot," Yin said. "I think it's going to push a lot of kids to play golf."

Agence France-Presse

Father's tough love sets Yuka Saso up for US Women's Open success

TOKYO -- Nineteen-year-old Filipino-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso, who is back in the spotlight with her dramatic first career major victory at the US Women's Open, was driven to success by her father's tough love.

Saso became an overnight sensation at the Asian Games in 2018, when the then 17-year-old represented the Philippines and got two gold medals. Her playoff victory Sunday proved the double gold was no fluke and is a testament to her connection with her Japanese father Masakazu, who helped set and enforce the grueling schedule that drove her to the top.When she decided at the age of 8 she wanted to become a top-ranked player like now-retired Japanese golf star Ai Miyazato, her father relocated the family to the Philippines where the cost of living was a lot cheaper. Saso's mother is a Filipina.

"We are not rich. It was impossible for us to keep playing golf in Japan," the 63-year-old Masakazu said in an interview the father-daughter pair gave Kyodo News earlier this year.

They said the turning point in Saso's golf career came when she was 13 and competing in a tournament in the United States, and she saw a significant difference -- about 50 yards -- between the distances she was achieving with the golf ball and a 17-year-old player.

"It was frustrating. I told myself I would learn to swing as hard as her by the following year," Saso said, reflecting on a time that had made her cry out of anger.

Despite her plea, Masakazu was conflicted over whether he should force his daughter to keep up with a demanding training structure, so much so that he made her sign a pledge promising not to hold a grudge against him.

"I will commit myself to rigorous training but I will not hate my parents for it. I will not dislike them. I will never forget to show a daughter's smile," the pledge read.

From then on, Saso's mornings began with a 5:30 a.m. run, followed by 10 sets of 50- and 100-meter sprints wearing 2-kilogram weights and 30 minutes of repetitive side step jumping before taking actual golf swings.

Then, she would do 30-kg barbell squats, and sometimes even include dry swing training with a baseball bat while using ankle weights or shadow boxing to add variety to her workouts.

But Saso stayed calm, disciplined and in control regardless of the pressure and stress she was under.

She has learned that if she wants to move forward, it takes hard work and dedication on her part. She says she also wants to enjoy the process on her journey to the top.

"I want to remember to have fun while I play. I want to rank No. 1 in the world," she said.

On Monday, she jumped from 40th to ninth in the Rolex Rankings after beating Japanese golfer Nasa Hataoka in a playoff to give the Philippines its first major champion in golf and Japan its third major winner in women's golf.

After her historic conquest of the US Women's Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on Sunday, Saso credited her success to her father's love and parental support.

"(I was able to win because) my family supported me and was always there for me," Saso said.

Her father was moved to tears and could only manage a few words.

"(She did it) so soon...Good for her," he said.

-Kyodo News

Japan rejoices at teenage golfer Yuka Saso's US Women's Open win

Teenage golfer Yuka Saso's triumph at the US Women's Open was met with jubilation from her Japanese supporters Monday, with her father crying tears of joy as he watched her hoist the trophy.

"I didn't think she would win it this quickly. I'm so happy," Masakazu Saso said as he looked on at San Francisco's Olympic Club after her victory.

Born to a Filipino mother and Japanese father, Saso became only the third woman with Japanese citizenship to win a major title and tied the record for the youngest champion at the tournament at 19 years, 11 months, 17 days.

Saso holds dual Filipino and Japanese citizenship and represents the former on tour and in international competitions.

Masakazu said his confidence faltered when his daughter carded two double bogeys early in her final round, but his worry was proven unfounded when his daughter managed two par-5 birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to move into a playoff with Japanese player Nasa Hataoka.

"After the double bogeys on the second and third holes, I thought she was done for. She was lucky."

Asked how he plans to celebrate the victory with his daughter, Masakazu replied, "She's not the type to ask for things. That cup is what she wanted most."

were ecstatic at her victory.

"It's been less than a year since we met. I'm very surprised and overjoyed she has accomplished such a great feat," said Jiro Teramura, an executive at the small company.

At the Fuso Country Club in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, about an hour and a half by car from central Tokyo, where Saso enrolled as a junior member in 2016, deputy manager Tatsuya Karibe said her physical strength is a boon when competing abroad.

"Her physique is her strong point. She's a long hitter, which allows her to be competitive in the US Women's Open."

The government's top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, also offered his congratulations, saying the playoff holes were "a fierce battle" but that Saso's perseverance led to her win.

Also praising Hataoka, Kato said he looks forward to the 22-year-old's future performances.

Hiroaki Owa, who heads Ibaraki's athlete development program for golf and has worked closely with Hataoka, said she can hold her head high in defeat.

"It's very rare to have a playoff (on the US tour) between two Japanese. Hataoka may be dejected but this is good experience for the next time."

-Kyodo News-

Golf: Saso starts strong at US Women's Open; American high-schooler leads

Yuka Saso of the Philippines carded a 2-under 69 for a strong Round 1 at the US Women's Open on Thursday (US time).

Saso, who finished sixth at the Lotte Championship in April, was 2 shots behind co-leaders Mel Reid of England and 17-year-old high-school student Megha Ganne at San Francisco's Olympic Club.

The reigning Asian Games champion, who notched 4 birdies and a pair of bogeys, was joint sixth with Shanshan Feng of China and American Lexi Thompson.

Reid and American amateur Ganne kept their putters hot amid chilly conditions to card matching 67 and sit tied for the lead.

Reid, who went out as part of the morning wave amid dense coastal fog, carded 5 birdies and a bogey to take a 1-stroke clubhouse lead at 4-under early on at the major.

Her lead appeared safe until Ganne came out of nowhere in the sunnier afternoon to put on a putting clinic of her own.

Ganne pulled into a share of the lead with a birdie on the par-3 15th and took the lead on the next hole with her sixth birdie of the day on the par-five 16th.

But an errant tee shot on her final hole found the rough and the ensuing bogey dropped her back into a share of the lead.

Ganne, who played in the tournament 2 years ago as a 15-year-old, said taming her nerves was key to her success.

"I think the first time is nerve-racking for anybody — meeting your idols and being on the stage for the first time," she said.

"But the second time around, even the practice rounds, I wasn't as nervous."

Brooke Henderson (68) looked set to finish tied for the lead but three-putted the last for a bogey, dropping into a share of third with Angel Yin and Megan Khang at 3 under.

Defending champion Kim A-lim was not so lucky, the South Korean limping home with an eight-over 79.

Leading scores after Round 1 on Thursday (USA unless noted, a-denotes amateur, par-71):

67 - Mel Reid (ENG), a-Megha Ganne

68 - Angel Yin, Megan Khang, Brooke Henderson (CAN)

69 - YUKA SASO (PHILIPPINES), Feng Shanshan (CHN), Lexi Thompson

70 - Ko Jin-young (KOR) Marina Alex, Austin Ernst, Jennifer Kupcho, Lee6 Jeong-eun (KOR), Wichanee Meechai (THA), Lauren Stephenson

71 - Mina Harigae, a-Gurleen Kaur, Luna Sobron Galmes (ESP), Ariya Jutanugarn (THA), Ally Ewing, Madelene Sagstrom (SWE), a-Maja Stark (SWE), Lydia Ko (NZL), Park In-bee (KOR), Emily Kristine Pedersen (DEN)

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Yuka Saso finishes joint sixth, Lydia Ko claims Lotte Championship

LOS ANGELES -- Lydia Ko ended her three-year LPGA title drought in impressive style Saturday, firing a final-round 65 to win the Lotte Championship by seven strokes.

Former world number one Ko, a two-time major champion, didn't put a foot wrong as she notched her 16th LPGA title but her first since the 2018 Mediheal Championship.

Her 28-under par total of 260 at Kapolei Golf Club in Oahu, Hawaii, put her seven in front of South Korean's Park In-bee and Kim Sei-young, Ireland's Leona Maguire and American Nelly Korda.

Ko took a one-shot lead over Korda into the final round, but as the American struggled on the greens Ko marched relentlessly to victory.

She pushed her lead to two with a four-foot birdie at the third hole, then saved par from the front fringe at the fourth before taking firm control with four birdies in a row at the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th.

She added birdies at 14 and 17 for good measure, admitting that there had been times during her long, highly scrutinized dry spell that she wondered if the victories would come again.

Yuka Saso of the Philippines, who led after the first two rounds, finished with a two-under 70 to join a group on 269 alongside South Korean Jenny Shin (63), Taiwan's Hsu Wei-Ling (66) and American Sarah Schmelzel (66).

"There were times that I would think 'Hey, I don't know if I'll ever be back in the winner's circle," said Ko, the former teen phenomenon who is still a week shy of her 24th birthday.

Near misses at the Gainbridge LPGA and the ANA Inspiration didn't necessarily ease her concerns, Ko said, noting that "when you're in that position and it doesn't happen, you do doubt."

Relaxed and smiling throughout much of the round, Ko was clearly emotional after her final putt dropped on 18.

"I just continued to stick to my game plan, and I think this kind of proves it to myself and that's the biggest thing," she said.

Korda, seeking a second victory of the season after beating Ko by three strokes at the Gainbridge LPGA, couldn't apply the same pressure on Ko that she did on Friday.

With the putts not falling, she was one-over on the front nine after a bogey at the eighth and trailing by four at the turn.

She followed a birdie at the 11th with back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13, birdies at 14, 15 and 17 pushing her back into a share of second.

Park had roared to 21-under with a nine-under 63 that featured an eagle and seven birdies -- including three to cap her round.

Kim joined the group at 21-under with a bogey-free seven-under 65 that included an eagle and five birdies.

Maguire grabbed her share of second with an eagle at the par-five 17th, to go with four birdies and a bogey.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Yuka Saso sizzles in 2nd round of Hawaii LPGA tournament

Yuka Saso of the Philippines produced a second consecutive stellar round Friday for a 2-shot lead at the midpoint of the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii.

Saso, who shared first place after the opening round, carded a second consecutive 8-under-par 64 at Kapolei Golf Club on the island of Oahu.

Her 16-under 128 total has her in front of New Zealand's Lydia Ko, who recorded the best score of the tournament on Friday, a 9-under 63 that leaves her 14 under overall.

Spain's Luna Sobron Galmes (second-round 64), South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim (65), South Korea's So Yeon Ryu (68) and Nelly Korda (68) share third place at 11 under.

Brianna Do (66), Ally Ewing (69) and South Korea's A Lim Kim (64) are tied for tied for seventh place at 10 under.

Six players, including first-round co-leader Brittany Altomare (71) and amateur Rose Zhang (68), are seven strokes behind Saso, tied for 10th.

Saso, 19, is a regular on the LPGA of Japan Tour, but she finished in the top 15 at last year's US Women's Open. She is looking for her first victory on the US-based LPGA Tour.

Her scorecard Friday featured nine birdies, including four in a row around the turn, and just one bogey.

"Two more days, I'm trying to get used to it," said Saso, who admitted she was playing this course for the first time this week. "It's like Philippines but colder than Philippines and windier than Philippines. I made some good putts, had good up and downs, my driving was very consistent today."

Ko, 23, already has 15 LPGA wins, including two majors, but she hasn't been victorious since April 2018. Her bogey-free round Friday included three different streaks of back-to-back birdies.

"I started off well birdieing my first two holes, and then I think I just continuously gave myself opportunities," Ko said. "Especially around a golf course like this, the more times you're putting for birdie or having chances to putt for birdie the better. ...

"Especially when the winds come, I think it's a course where some players can go really low, so feel like I was able to do a pretty good job at that, and nice finishing off with a birdie on the last (hole)."

Zhang, who started on the back nine, had a run of three consecutive birdies before making the turn after consecutive bogeys. The 17-year-old from Southern California closed her round by birdieing three of her last four holes.

"Everything was going pretty well in that birdie stretch, then I did kind of falter on 17 and 18," Zhang said. "It was just like minor mistakes, and then I also pulled it into the water. But I think I lessened the mistakes out here today and just came back on the back nine."

-reuters-

Golf: Yuka Saso caps US Women’s Open debut at 13th place

Yuka Saso of the Philippines carded a 1-over 72 on Monday to end up 13th place at the conclusion of the US Women’s Open in Houston that was delayed by rain. 

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kim A-Lim produced a stunning finish to snatch her maiden major victory with a 1-shot win at Champions Golf Club. 

Saso, who was tied at 25th place when play was suspended Sunday, bounced back with consistent shotmaking and could’ve finished higher if it weren’t for a double-bogey on the 17th. 

The Japan LPGA Tour campaigner showed over the weekend she could excel Stateside, as the reigning Asian Games champion closed out her first attempt at a golf major better than expected after a poor Round 3 where she was 6 over. 

Bianca Pagdanganan, the other Filipina participant, missed the cut.

Kim, 25, who had never won a tournament outside of South Korea before, rattled in three consecutive birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to finish with a four-under-par 67 at Champions Golf Club in Houston.

That finish left Kim on three under for the tournament, one shot clear of compatriot and world number one Ko Jin-Young and Amy Olson of the United States, who had led for much of the final round. Japan's Hinako Shibuno was fourth on one under after draining a monstrous 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

"I decided to come out today, be aggressive, attack the pin," Kim said afterwards. "It worked out today."

Kim, playing in the US Women's Open for the first time, had started the day as a long-shot for the title, five shots adrift of third round leader Shibuno.

However she climbed up the leaderboard with a superb performance over the front nine, making birdies on the 5th, 6th and 8th holes to reach the turn at two under for the tournament.

Her progress looked to have stalled when she posted back-to-back bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes to drop to even par.

Olson, meanwhile, who had started the day just one shot adrift of Shibuno, took sole possession of the lead after recovering from a nightmare start.

- Family tragedy -

The 28-year-old from North Dakota -- chasing her first ever win on the LPGA Tour -- had been rocked by a family tragedy after it emerged on Sunday her father-in-law had died suddenly on Saturday.

Olson, one of 18 players who never teed off their final round on Sunday after heavy rain deluged the course, started sluggishly, with a trio of bogeys on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes threatening to torpedo her hopes.

However she bounced back with consecutive birdies on the 5th and 6th holes to move back to two under for the tournament.

By the time she reached the 11th hole, Olson was sitting on a two-shot lead and looking increasingly comfortable.

However Kim's late charge changed the complexion of the round, with her birdie on the 16th leaving her one behind Olson.

Another birdie on the 17th gave her a share of the lead with the American, and on the 18th a superb wedge from 119 yards left her with an eight foot birdie to take the lead which she duly rolled in.

That piled the pressure on Olson, who was suddenly left needing to pick up shots to get back in contention.

Instead, her composure deserted her. She bogeyed the par-three 16th after hitting through the green with her tee shot, leaving her two off the pace with two to play.

Olson however could only manage a par on the 17th, leaving her needing an eagle on the 18th to force a tie.

That proved to be beyond her though, although a long birdie putt gave the American a share of second place alongside Ko.

The tournament — the final major of the season — had been shifted from its slot in early June because of disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Agence France-Presse

Asian Games: Meet PH golf's golden trio

Three Pinay golfers brought a pleasant surprise for Philippine sports when they pulled off a impressive performance, giving the country two gold medals in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on Sunday.

Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go clinched the team title, Saso snared the individual championship, and Pagdanganan claimed a bronze in the most productive single-day outing for the Filipinos in the quadrennial event.

Now basketball-crazy Filipino sports fans might view the trio as a product of overnight success. 

But Saso, Pagdanganan and Go have been busy perfecting their golf skills for years. Their Asian Games victory was a culmination of all their efforts.

Yuka Saso

The 17-year-old Filipino-Japanese hails from San Ildefonso, Bulacan. 

When she was 15, Saso led the Philippines to the World Junior Girls team title and also topped the individual standings at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Ontario. 

Saso crowned herself as the 2018 Philippine Ladies Open champion last January. In the same month, she also claimed the 2018 Victorian Junior Masters in Australia.

Before plunging into Asian Games action, she earned her first American Junior Golf Association invitational victory at Thunderbird International Junior in the United States last June.

Bianca Pagdanganan 

The 20-year-old Pagdanganan is based in Tucson, Arizona and has been active in the US circuit for years.

She competed in the Colonel Wollenberg's Ram Classic in 2016, the NCAA Albuquerque Regional in 2017, and the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in 2018.

Pagdanganan powered University of Arizona to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women’s championship that earned her an LPGA exemption at the Marathon Classic played last month in Ohio

Some of her biggest wins include a couple of holes-in-one at the 2017 Lady Thunderbird Invitational and the NCAA Women’s Championship last May.

The Gonzaga University golfer also claimed the championship in the 55th Philippine Ladies Open in 2017.

Lois Kaye Go

The 19-year-old Boston College junior is a native of Cebu.

In 2017, she fired a final round 65 and claimed the Women’s Porter Cup in the US. She went on to win a bronze medal in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games a few months later.

A few days before the Asian Games, Go captured the women’s title in the 13th Kuala Lumpur Amateur Open in the Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam (KGPA) in Malaysia.

source: news.abs-cbn.com