Saso, Del Rosario top PH Ladies Open faves

Yuka Saso will go up against a highly talented field when she seeks a second major national championship in the Philippine Ladies Open that gets off the ground tomorrow at Wack Wack West course in Mandaluyong.

With the members of The Country Club team led by Pauline del Rosario and Abby Arevalo, as well as entries from Thailand and South Korea participating, Saso expects this one to be a much tougher tournament to win.

“There are too many good players around,” said Saso, who won the Philippine Amateur title on Sunday by nine shots.

Del Rosario, who did not play at Riviera last week like the rest of the TCC team, joins Saso as one of the players to beat with a game many believe is ripe for the pros.

The much-improved Arevalo is on vacation from her studies at San Jose State University in the US where she is a member of the college team.
She will be playing her first tournament since coming home before the holidays.

Korean Hee Ji-kim will also try to go all the way this time after finishing second to Saso at Riviera, even as Harmie Constantino, whom the Filipino-Japanese dethroned on Sunday, will be wanting some payback this week.

Eighty-four players have so far joined the event, which was won last year by the decorated Princess Superal.