SASO HANGING TOUGH
YUKA SASO kept her grip of the No. 1 spot in the Player of the Year race despite finishing at joint 13th place in last Sunday’s Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Konica Minolta Championship in Okayama. But Saso, winner of two JPLGA tournaments in back-to-back fashion, need to get her act back as an inspired Sakura Koiwai is threateningly close by and Saki Nagamine surged dramatically following her victory at Okayama.
The Filipino-japanese was in the hunt in the first three days but cracked with a closing 76 to finish outside of the Top 10 for the second straight tournament after successively ruling the NEC Karuizawa and Nitori Ladies.
Saso, however, still gained 60 points for that 13th place finish to hike her total to 644.85 in the best player race. Ranked No. 78 in the world, she also stayed atop the money list with total earnings of ¥62.088 (P28.5 million).
Koiwai, who snapped Saso’s streak at the Golf5 Ladies, is now No. 2 with 536.50 points built around her sixth place finish in the JLPGA Championship (Y39.64 million), while Nagamine jumped 14 rungs up to No. 3 with 489.75 points after nailing her first LPGA of Japan Tour victory for winnings of Y44.44 million.
Erstwhile second-running and Earth Mondahmin Cup winner Ayaka Watanabe, who trailed Saso by 120 points after four tournaments, fell to fourth with 458.50 after missing the cut last week although she remained in second in the money list with Y51.62 million in earnings.
The International Container Terminal Services Inc.-backed Saso also remained No. 1 in the average stroke (69.38) with Koiwai inching closer with 69.41 average and Mika Miyazato at third with 70.58.
The two-time Philippine Ladies Open titlist Saso also shared the top spot with Koiwai in top 10 finishes after five events, led the field with three eagles, paced the par-3 average score with 2.79 against Koiwai’s 2.89 and still tops in the number of rounds under 70 with nine against Koiwai’s eight.
Saso tries to bounce back in the Desant Ladies Tokai Classic starting on Friday in Aichi hoping to rule the “Driving Queen Contest” event set on the second day.