The Philippines’ Yuka Saso watches her drive from the 10th tee in round 3 of the women’s golf individual stroke play during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe on August 6, 2021. (Photo by YOSHI IWAMOTO / AFP)
Slowly but surely, Yuka Saso is making her climb in women’s golf.
Saso rose to a career-best No. 5 in the latest Rolex Women’s Golf World Rankings following her strong outing in the Founders Cup in New Jersey, where she finished tied for fourth and fifth places at Mountain Ridge Country Club.
The Filipino-Japanese ace shot a 10-under 274 total and was tied with South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6, eight shots behind eventual winner Ko Jin-young, who piled a scorching 18-under 266 total for the victory.
Saso, 20, has been on a steady rise in the rankings since claiming the US Open crown last June where she soared from 40th to eighth following her first major golf title.
American Nelly Korda remains on top but Ko is closing in after her wire-to-wire win at the Founders Cup.
A pair of South Koreans in Inbee Park and Kim Sei-young hold the third and fourth places, respectively.
Saso looked like she was going to fall off the top 10 early in the fourth round of the Founders Cup when she coughed up a double bogey at No. 3 and headed out on a 2-over front nine. Starting the round just four strokes off the lead, Saso lost four more shots after Ko nailed two more birdies in the front.
But the Tokyo Olympian and 2018 Asian Games champion gunned down three birdies in the back nine to keep her lofty spot in the tournament.
Saso remains at No. 3 in the overall money list for the season, having pooled around $1.5 million (around P76.2 million) in total winnings despite playing significantly fewer events (8) than money leader Korda ($1.97 million, 15 events) and No. 2 Ko ($1.66 million, 16 events).
Saso, a rookie in the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour, has finished in the top 10 in five of those eight events.