Saso, other Pinays ready for AG, SEAG
Despite falling short of her title bid in the Women’s Amateur AsiaPacific, Yuka Saso’s performance and that of her erstwhile fellow national teammates augured well for the Philippines’ campaign in the next international golf competitions, including the Asian Games in Indonesia in August and the Southeast Asian Games the country is hosting in 2019.
Saso fumbled with a bogey on the second playoff hole as Atthaya Thitikul edged Japanese Yuna Nishimura on the third sudden death to rule the inaugural AsPac event at Sentosa Golf Club’s New Tanjong course in Singapore Saturday.
Thitikul actually recovered from a late meltdown that enabled three other players to force a playoff at 276 but the Thai sensation toughened up and outlasted Nishimura, Saso and New Zealand’s Wenyung Keh in the playoff to clinch the hotly disputed crown.
But Saso, who won a couple of pro tournaments back home, including one at Ayala Greenfield last month, should be a cinch to reclaim her spot in the national pool for the coming Asiad with newly elected Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas baring his commitment to accredit the “best talents” available to represent the country in international competitions.
Saso had a falling out with the National Golf Association of the Philippines, the governing body of amateur golf, last year and missed the SEA Games. But as the country’s top player in the ranks today, Saso is expected to spearhead the country’s bid in the Asiad and get a crack at Thitikul again.
Meanwhile, the other Filipina bets also fared well in the event that also included strong players from Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and Australia with Lois Go carding a 73 and for solo eighth at 281, and former Philippine Ladies Open champion Bianca Pagdanganan shooting a 70 for a 287 for joint 15th.
Clare Legaspi and Harmie Constantino wound up tied at 29th at 293 after a 74 and 75, respectively, while Mikha Fortuna made six bogeys and one double bogey but scored the tournament’s lone hole-in-one on No. 17. She pooled a 306 after a 77.
Keh, who closed out with a 67, was the first to fall with a bogey on their return trip on No. 18 with Saso, who capped a brilliant stint in the last two days with bogeyfree 67 and 68, following suit with a bogey, also on No. 18.
The Thai took the crown with a routine par on No. 12, which Nishimura bogeyed.
Thitikul, who became the youngest winner at 14 on the Ladies European Tour last year, appeared headed for a runaway win in regulation when she surged to a three-shot lead but double-bogeyed No. 12 then bogeyed the par-3 17th to finish with a 71.
Nishimura birdied two of the last seven holes in regulation to card a 69 to force a four-way tie.
It was a sorry setback for Saso, who came out of a three-hour weather delay late Friday a bit cold, settling for pars in the last six holes after a four-birdie binge for that 67.
Saso, who rebounded from a one-over 72 start with a two-under Thursday, scorched the par-71 layout with three birdies in the first four holes in the third round. Though she flubbed a short birdieputt on No. 10, the Fil-Japanese shotmaker rebounded with a curling putt from 10 feet on the next to go four-under before play was stopped due to thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, the victory also netted Thitikul an invitation to play in two major championships this year – the Ricoh Women’s British Open and the ANA Inspiration – as well as a place in the starting field of the HSBC Women’s World Championship on the same course next week.