STYMIED in her comeback bid by an early double bogey on the par-4 third hole yesterday (Sunday in the US), Yuka Saso wound up with a final round 70 and settled for a two-way tie for fourth at the end of the Cognizant Founders Cup in Caldwell, New Jersey.
Tied for second, four shots off the lead going into the last round, Saso was momentarily unnerved by that blunder but recovered on the back nine with birdies on holes Nos. 11, 13 and 15 to close out with a 274 at the par-71, 6,656-yard Cambridge Country Club.
Saso, the reigning US Women’s Open champion, finished in a tie with South Korean Jeongeun Lee6, who checked in with a 67. They finished eight shots behind defending champion Jin Young Ko of South Korea and shared $138,664 (around P7.02 million) each.
Ko completed a wire-to-wire victory, shooting a stressful-free 66 in the final round to retain her title with a 266 total. She pocketed the top purse of $450,000 (P22.8 million) while setting several milestones in the process.
Ko, the No. 2 golfer in the world, matched top-ranked American Nelly Korda with the most US LPGA tour victories this season with three each, and her 14th straight round in the 60s tied the mark of legendary Swede Annika Sorenstam.
Sorenstam, a 10-time major winner, set the record in the middle of her 10-win season on the ladies’ tour in 2005, highlighted by triumphs in the Ana Inspiration and Women’s PGA championship.
A three-year LPGA veteran, Ko, 26, also scored her 10th win on the circuit, becoming the 10th South Korean with double-digit victories, topped by retired compatriot Se Ri Pak, who had 25 in all.
Former prodigy Dottie Ardina had a relatively nice showing, closing out with a 69 for 281 and finished in a seven-way deadlock for 33rd place for her best outing on the tour this season, winning $17,756 (P900, 000).
Playing in the championship flight with Ko and American Elizabeth Szokol, who placed third with 69 for 273 in the last round, Saso was never in the running after that early double bogey. She finished the front nine with a 1-over 37 after a bogey-birdie finish on holes Nos. 8 and 9.
Ko, who birdied the sixth and eight holes, finished the front with a 2-under 33, padding her lead by eight shots over Saso and seven over Szokol, who had 36, and sealed the deal with four birdies in a five-hole stretch from the 12th to 16th.
