Filipino-Japanese golf sensation Yuka Saso made history as the first Filipino woman to win the US Women’s Open, one of the world’s biggest golfing tilts. At 19, she also tied with Inbee Park for the youngest woman golf player ever to win the coveted title.
In a report that came out in The Philippine STAR, Saso won after outlasting Nasa Hataoka in a sudden-death playoff in the final round at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on Sunday (Monday, Manila time).
Saso had a birdie putt in the ninth hole to take her first-ever LPGA title. The Filipino-Japanese had to dig herself out off of the rough with her second shot in the ninth to place herself in a position for the win, The Philippine STAR report added.
Hataoka looked like she had the better tee shot when she went into the fairway while Saso settled for the rough. The playoff came when Saso and Hataoka were knotted up at 4-under par after the 72nd hole.
Yuka Saso is a U.S. Women's Open Champion! 🏆
— LPGA (@LPGA) June 6, 2021
Saso is the first male or female from the Philippines to win a major championship!🇵🇭👏 pic.twitter.com/FrOLI8azXn
It was a hard-fought win, as Saso had to bounce back from two early double bogeys and recovered in the back nine. It also had its share of suspense. At one point, for instance, Saso fell behind the leader by six shots but kept her focus.
The teenager had her first chance to win it all in the eighteenth playoff hole when Hataoka missed a birdie and settled for a par putt.
But nerves seemed to get the better of her at that moment when she putted downhill and settled for the playoff-extending putt.
Erstwhile leader Lexi Thompson, who held a one-shot lead over Saso on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), settled for a third-place finish after going 4-over par in the final round, The Philippine STAR report concluded.
With her win, Saso has thus matched South Korea’s Park as the youngest winners in the championship’s history at 19 years, 11 months and 17 days, and earned her LPGA tour membership. – With a report from AFP
A new star is born in the women's game!
— U.S. Women's Open (@uswomensopen) June 6, 2021
Yuka Saso is the 76th #USWomensOpen champion. pic.twitter.com/sI2wkHh9pA
