By Waylon Galvez
Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso shot a three-over par 75 to start her campaign in the Stanley Ladies Golf Tournament Friday at the Tomei Country Club in Susuno City, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan.
Saso, a double-gold medalist in the 2018 Asian Games, birdied the fifth hole but struggled to keep up as she bogeyed holes Nos. 6, 8 and 9 in the front.
She also bogeyed the 15th and 17th while her only other birdie was on the 14th.
The 19-year-old Saso, paired with multi-titled Ai Suzuki and newly-crowned major champion Erika Hara, is tied for 31st with 14 other players that are four shots off seven co-leaders.
Fukuda Yuko, Hamada Mayu, Arakaki Hina, Lee Na-Ri, Miyata Naruha, Asai Saki and Shinkai Miyu all fired a one-under par 71 in the Y100-million 54-hole tournament.
Last week, Saso finished in joint 14th in the Japan Women’s Open.
The not-so-impressive result relegated Saso to the No. 2 spot in the Player of the Year top rankings after seven tournaments.
Nevertheless, Saso maintained her No. 1 ranking on the money list leaders with Y65,190,250 (roughly P30 million).
Saso is likewise the fastest PH athlete to breach the P30-million mark. She accumulated that fortune by winning two of seven legs in the rich Japan Tour in a span of just three months.
