Japan’s Yuka Saso powered away on the back nine to win her second US Women’s Open title Sunday, carding a two-under-par 68 for a three-shot victory at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.
Saso finished with a four-under-par total of 276 to claim her second LPGA tour title three years after winning the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco — when she represented the Philippines.
“It feels great,” said Saso, whose mother is from the Philippines and father from Japan.
“Winning in 2021 I represented the Philippines, I feel like I was able to give back to my mom. This year I was able to represent Japan, and I think I was able to give back to my dad.
“It’s just a wonderful feeling that I was able to give back to my parents in the same way.”
Saso became just the third player, after South Koreans Pak Se-ri and Chun In-gee, to make her first two LPGA wins major titles, and at 22 she’s the youngest player to win the US Women’s Open twice.
To do it, Saso shook off a four-putt double-bogey at the par-three sixth, grabbing birdies at four holes in a five-hole stretch from the 12th through the 16th to pull away as a trio of overnight co-leaders headlined by Australia’s Minjee Lee faded.
“I just tried to be patient out there,” Saso said. “I think that’s what you need to win a major like this — just have fun playing with the playing partners and enjoy the challenge.”
Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, who won the 2019 Women’s British Open in her major championship debut, carded a two-over-par 72 to finish second on one-under 279.
Shibuno was a stroke clear of overnight co-leader Andrea Lee of the United States and American Ally Ewing. Ewing climbed the leaderboard with a four-under 66 while Lee carded a five-over 75.
Third-round co-leader Wichanee Meechai of Thailand shot a 77 to finish in a group on 282 while two-time major winner Minjee Lee endured a nightmare round of 78 to fall into a group on 283.
Australia’s Lee still had a two-shot lead at the turn, despite failing to find a fairway on the front nine.
But as her mistakes mounted, Saso found her groove, drilling a 10-foot birdie putt at the 12th and taking the solo lead with a birdie at the par-five 13th.
She added another pair of birdies at 15 and 16, driving the green at the short par-four 16th.
She was still in the driver’s seat after a three-putt bogey at 17 and she delivered a superb chip from in front of the green for a two-putt par at the 18th that sealed it.
“I chipped from the front yesterday, too, and I left it more than 10 feet, and I just told myself, be aggressive and not to be short 10 feet,” Saso said. “I’m glad that I was able to do it.”
