To say that Yuka Saso is slowly gaining her form is an understatement.
The 2018 Asian Games champion joined the handful of golfers who punctuated the 2021 Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Ladies Yokohama Tire Golf Tournament with a round-best 3-under, eventually finishing in joint 12th place with a 2-under 214, Sunday afternoon at the Tosa Country Club, Kochi, Japan.
Saso finally claimed her first points of the year to get to a total of 1,287.85; she likewise earned 1.080-million yen (P 480,415.90) in the process.
Mone Inami outlasted Kana Nagai in the playoff to take the title and the 14.4-million yen winner’s prize.
After ending at 1-over in the first round, the Filipino-Japanese bounced back with a steady even-par score in the following go-round even taking two birdies in the process. That performance fuelled Saso into getting back into what she does best – weaving magic on the golf course.
The 19-year-old started early, taking the course with the second trio of golfers, and she immediately put her overall score to even after a birdie in hole number 3. She then put herself under par with another birdie four holes after, leaving at the frontside at 2-under 34 heading into the last nine holes.
Back-to-back birdies in the first two holes of the backside set up Saso into a Top 10 finish. However, she bungled on her approach at No. 14 to eventually finish the day at 3-under 69.
Nonetheless, Saso finally finished a tournament this year, which is a sign that the tour rookie is back on track.
The current JLPGA money board leader is expected to go all out in the next tournament, the 2021 T-Point*Eneos Golf Tournament, at the Kagoshima Takamaki Country Club in Kagoshima, to boost both her tour rankings and her own Tokyo Olympic berth.
