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    COLUMN: Yuka may be peaking at the right time

    Saso's sudden rise as a contender has raised hopes that she’s back in her element
    Jun 30, 2023
    Yuka Saso
    Yuka Saso tees off on the second hole during the final round of the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Springfield, N.J.
    PHOTO: AP
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    WHEN Yuka Saso tees off next week in the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, she’s not going to be the same golfer who was basically ignored when she began the Women’s PGA Championship last week.

    It is likely that she will be a marked golfer, one who has to be watched with caution, a player who can derail the dreams of her opponents.

    This is because, in last week’s PGA Women’s Championship, she placed solo second and, if not for unfortunate late mistakes, would have nailed her second LPGA major golf championship.

    She was beaten by China’s rising star Lin Ruoning who produced heroics of her own to win by one stroke after sinking a knee-knocking 10-footer on the 18th and final hole.

    But for those who have followed Yuka since she grabbed national attention with her stunning win in the US Women’s Open two years ago, while competing as a non-LPGA member, her sudden rise as a contender has raised hopes that she’s back in her element.

    The US Women’s Open is one of the toughest events in the LPGA calendar, ranking right up there as a dream-come-true for players who top it.

    Yuka would not be in the conversation if not for her play in the PGA Women’s championship where she rose, fell, and rose again to move past the favorites, only to finally fall to Yin, herself an unlikely challenger, having turned pro just a year ago and with only one title under her belt.

    A birdie on the last hole gave Yin the stroke to win at 8 under par 286 while Yuka, at 7 under and the clubhouse leader, watched anxiously wondering whether she’d win or go into a playoff against Yin. It wasn’t to be for the Philippine-born star who is now a Japanese citizen.

    The past few months, Yuka, 22, has not been at her best, and that is why her resurrection at the leaderboard of the PGA Championship, a major tournament in the LPGA calendar, caught many by surprise.

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    In her last five tournaments, Yuka missed four straight cuts which, by normal standards, is not only a slump but also a worrisome development—as it could indicate a decline in shot-making or a sharp dip in confidence, both indicators extremely bad for a golfer at this level. The smallest signs of doubt in one’s game spell big trouble.

    With her record of frustrations going into the PGA Championship, it was surprising that she was a contender and, in fact, almost won the title. For although she flashed a bit of her old self when she tied for seventh in the tournament preceding this major one, it was not enough to make the field tremble in fear.

    The US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, one of America’s most beautiful and toughest courses, will be another welcome challenge for Yuka who appears to thrive when stakes are high and rewards gratifying. Many will say it is not about the money, but know that the US Women’s Open winner brings home $1.8 million from a total purse of $10 million, almost double Yuka’s earnings when she won the title in 2021.

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    Yuka has clearly entered the conversation again, with some pundits pointing to her driving prowess as an essential asset in long and treacherous Pebble Beach where many golf victories turn into fable.

    “When Saso is at her best,” said one review, “she’s picking up bundles of strokes on the field with her driver. That’s exactly what she did at Baltusrol (site of the PGA Women’s Championship), leading the field in strokes gained off-the-tee.”

    The stats compiled by the LPGA this season showed Yuka ninth in strokes gained off-the-tee, averaging 0.70 strokes gained per round. It also found that her performance with the driver gave her more than half the total of her strokes gained in 2023.

    With an average drive of 273.17 yards, the course favors Yuka, who is hoping to end a winless streak that has stretched more than two years, an unusual and frustrating stretch from a player who shocked women’s golf with her win at the US Open in 2021.

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    Facts about Yuka Saso

    1. $875,130 (P48.65 million) – Prize for placing solo second in the PGA Women’s Championship

    2. $1,098,475 – Year-to-date earnings 2023 LPGA season

    3. $1,000,000 – Prize for winning 2021 US Women’s Open

    4. $3,385,645 – Career LPGA earnings

    5. Scoring average: 70.47 (this season)

    6. Rounds under par: 20

    7. Birdies: 131

    8. Eagles: 4

    9. Rounds in 60s: 12

    10. Putting average: 29.7

    11. Total rounds played: 32

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    Yuka Saso tees off on the second hole during the final round of the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Springfield, N.J.
    PHOTO: AP
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