Yuka Saso (-4) has conquered this Sunday at the Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania the second US Open of her career. She signed a card of 68 strokes in the last round and has imposed herself decisively, with three ahead of the Japanese Hinako Shibuno (-1) and four over the Americans Ally Ewing(PAR) and Andrea Lee (PAR). Minjee Lee (+3) and Wichanee Meechai (+2), the other two leaders along with Saso after the third round, have suffered the setbacks of the day with 78 and 77 strokes respectively. The case of the Australian, with two majors under her belt, has been especially surprising.
Apart from the US Open trophy, Saso could have been awarded this Sunday the prize for the best diplomat of the last decade. Her situation is curious. She was born in San Ildefonso, Philippines, homeland of her mother, while her father is from Japan. The young 22-year-old golfer therefore has both nationalities. Well, her victory in the 2021 US Open was achieved under the Philippine flag, while today’s has been with the red dot of Japan waving next to her name.
It was Yuka herself who decided to change her flag from 2022. She had, therefore, that extra incentive to achieve for Japan what she had already done for the Philippines. And so it has been. The same winner, two different countries. Everyone happy. A Solomonic champion. Saso, moreover, has become the youngest in history to win the US Open twice.
Hers is a curious case. She has extraordinary potential, her swing, made in the image and likeness of Rory McIlroy with hours and hours of watching videos of the Northern Irishman, is a delight. She has a lot of power and extraordinary plasticity. However, in four years on the LPGA Tour she has only won two tournaments, both Majors, both US Opens. And not only that. Since she won at the Olympic Club in 2021, she has barely finished three times in second position. She hasn’t put herself so much to win. It’s as if she were touched by a wand for this tournament. She is the Filipino-Japanese version of Brooks Koepka, since she also has a second place in the PGA Championship and a third in the Evian. She transforms in the most important events.
Saso’s two main rivals have been Andrea Lee (PAR) and Hinako Shibuno (-1), although there really was a moment in the last round, halfway through the day, where it seemed that neither wanted to win. The mistakes were happening on one side and the other and for moments it gave the feeling that Ally Ewing (PAR), best round of the day with 66 strokes, could take the cat to the water.
Everything changed between holes 12 and 16. Saso signed four birdies in five holes and dealt a definitive blow to the tournament. The truth is that she deployed a huge golf in this stretch. The first birdie of the 12 was a three-meter putt and the other three did not pass the meter and a half. It was one shot after another. Special mention for her exit at hole 16, a par 4 that today has been played short to encourage the players to shoot to green. Saso has left a five-meter eagle putt. Impressive.
The champion harvested a bogey with a three-putt on the 17th to put a little more emotion, but really behind her rivals were losing more fuel than tightening the leader’s nuts. Thus, Saso is crowned for the second time in the US Open and for the first time in the history of the Majors, whether male or female, two Japanese top the first two positions of a Major. The only two, by the way, who managed to finish the tournament under par. It is confirmed as the second most difficult US Open in history, by average strokes and golfers under par, after Pinehurst 2014, which ended with the triumph of Michelle Wie.
Carlota Ciganda (+6) had the best round of the tournament this Sunday. She made 69 strokes, under par, with five birdies and four bogeys, and moved up several positions to finish in the top 20. It is her sixth place among the top twenty in the last nine majors she has played. She keeps hovering around.
