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Saso keeps record offer alive with 69
MANILA, Philippines – Unable to launch a frontal run, Yuka Saso uncorked a four-birdie backstroke in the first six holes, but another mishap on the final hole spoiled what could have been an explosive ace increase. Japanese on move-in day at the JLPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup in Miyazaki prefecture on Saturday.
After a straight 70, Saso leveled up by one hit, the best 69 of her day pushed her to fourth solo from the 10th set in 209, just three strokes behind Erika Hara after the pivotal third round of the championship. Y120 million in Miyazaki Country. Club.
But her three-under card proved to be good enough to bolster her bid for an LPGA record from the Tour of Japan, including hotly contested Player of the Year honors when archrivals Ayaka Furue and Sakura Koiwai stumbled in a big way at a challenging day at the Miyazaki Country Club.
Furue, who ousted ICTSI-backed Saso from the top of the POTY derby with back-to-back victories in the past two weeks, and Koiwai, third-ranked Mercedes, flopped when the going got tough, hobbling with three identical. -Over 75 in missed shots and missed putts.
From the second solo, Furue, who bogeyed two of the first seven holes and gave up two shots at par 3 No. 8, fell to the 10th set at 212 while Koiwai, who had three bogeys on a 38-37 card with no birdie. , shifted to a portion of 13th at 214 heading for the final 18 holes of what promises to be a fitting finale to the final leg of the 14-tournament JLPGA season hit by the pandemic.
All the elements that lead to a vibrant and exciting finish are there.
Hara, winner of the second major tournament of the season, the Japan Women’s Open last month, edged out Furue in the featured duel though she, like the rest of the elite 37-player cast of the season’s best players and world-ranked, slowed to 71 in a round of three birdies and two bogeys after a 67-68.
But her 206 total kept her in the solo lead, though Yuna Nishimura, who led Mitsubishi Electric four weeks ago, tied Hara at 10 under par with a birdie at No. 12. But like most contenders for The $ 30 million, he hit a ghost for a 70 and a 207.
Veteran Momoko Ueda made an early move with two birdies on the first three holes, both par 4s, but failed to win a stroke on any of the four par 5s and finished with a 70.
But he stayed just two strokes behind Hara in 208 and will have Saso as his playmate in the final round that also features a number of interesting matchups, including Minami Hiruta (70-210) and Mamiko Higa (71-211); Kana Mikashima and Ji Hee Lee (both 73-211); Hinako Shibuno (74-211) and Furue (75-212); and Ai Suzuki (72-212) and Mi Jeong Jeon (73-213).
But no player would be as motivated in Sunday’s final round as Saso, whose bid for a record sweep of at least three JLPGA marks came to light with his fierce rear-loading alongside the collapses of Furue and Koiwai.
At least a second place finish would make rookie Saso, with earnings of Y89,253,170, the first player to collect Y100 million in earnings from just 14 tournaments. She is only 82.93 points behind Furue in the POTY race and is Y16,150,178 ahead of Furue in the winnings list category.
But Furue and Koiwai are also expected to go full throttle for a rebound, as are the rest of those on the hunt, including Hara, Nishimura, and Ueda, ensuring a tense and furious battle not just shooting and throwing. , but also nervous and mental. toughness with the chase of the title that probably comes down to the last shot and putt in regulation or beyond.
Saso actually birdied the opening hole, but made a bogey-birdie-bogey shot from No. 5 and made the turn at 36, even falling behind by six from Hara, who made two birdies against a bogey for a 35.
But he reasserted his dominance of the first two holes in the back and birdied them for the second time in a row, then won two more shots at numbers 13 and 15 to even move to third set at eight-under overall before hole out with that. spectrum.
After a 31-30 putt demonstration in the first two days, Saso finally found his touch, a key to his record-breaking campaign, and finished with 28 putts prepared with excellent approach shots, though he did hit a series of recovery shots after hit alone. six fairways and miss the greens six times.
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