FILE — Yuka Saso of the Philippines. Shamus/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—Yuka Saso got off to a solid start in the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, hitting a 5-under 67 to get to a second place tie with the Netherlands’ Anne van Dam and Thailand’s Jasmine Suwwanapura.
Michele Thomson of Scotland shot a 7-under 65 to take the lead after the first round.
Saso, the ninth place finisher in the Tokyo Olympics, had a mixed bag in the front nine as she hit three birdies but got a double bogey in the sixth and a bogey in the ninth at Dumbarnie Golf Links in Scotland.
She then recovered in the back nine hitting birdies in the 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 16th.
The reigning US Women’s Open champion said that she sought the advice of golf legends heading into Scotland including 1997 Open champion Justin Leonard and Women’s Scottish Open champion Stacy Lewis.
Saso added that she had to change her style at Dumbarnie as she had to utilize her driver early on.
“In America, we kind of have to go high and try to stop the ball but here, it’s like you have to be more — you have to have more like rolling low ball and trying to chase the hole. That’s the shots that I’m not really used to,” said Saso.
“Watching her [Lewis] doing that, I practiced yesterday, this morning, trying to do those stuff, that helped. So yeah, I’m really thankful and hope to play with her more so I can learn from her.”