Yuka Saso, of Japan, hits off the second tee during the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Lancaster Country Club, Sunday, June 2, 2024, in Lancaster, Pa. (AP)
LANCASTER, Pa. — Yuka Saso became a U.S. Women’s Open champion for the second time Sunday and took her place in history with a rare footnote — the first Filipino to win the Women’s Open in 2021, and now the first from Japan.
No matter the flag, the 22-year-old Saso delivered a masterful performance at Lancaster Country Club with a 2-under 68. She ran off a four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine amid a series of collapses and won without much drama.
Minjee Lee, who led by three shots on the front nine, came undone with a tee shot into the water on the par-3 12th the first of two double bogeys. Wichanee Meechai of Thailand took herself out of the picture early with a triple bogey.
Andrea Lee fell back with a double bogey and never caught up.
Saso wasn’t immune from mistakes. She had a four-putt double bogey on the par-3 sixth that left her four shots behind Minjee Lee. That was the last of the mistakes that mattered.
Her big run began with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 12th, followed by a wedge to 3 feet on the par-5 13th hole. She hit her approach to 6 feet on the 15th hole and then delivered the winner, a 3-wood to 20 feet on the reachable par-4 16th for a two-putt birdie.
Saso has said she wishes she could play for two flags — her mother is from the Philippines, her father from Japan.
She decided to switch citizenship before turning 21, and Saso wound up leading a strong showing by Japan.
She won in a playoff at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. She won by three shots at Lancaster Country Club.