Saso faces uphill battle as Iwai storms ahead at Evian Championship
MANILA, Philippines — Yuka Saso faced another daunting challenge in her bid to rediscover top form and end a string of disappointing finishes after opening with a two-over 73 that left her nine strokes behind early leader Akie Iwai in the Amundi Evian Championship at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France on Thursday (Friday Manila time).
Saso mixed a 36-37 card that, while far from disastrous by major championship standards, proved costly on a day when the course yielded exceptionally low scores. With 57 players breaking par and another 11 matching even-par 71, the ICTSI-backed Filipino-Japanese star found herself one stroke below the projected cut line.
Iwai spearheaded the Japanese charge with a flawless eight-birdie feat for a 63, grabbing a two-shot lead over France's Perrine Delacour, who shot a 65 highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 15th of the par-71 Champions course.
A group of players stood another shot back at 66, led by Haeran Ryu, who continued her impressive run following her breakthrough victory at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Joining her were Jin Hee Im, Mao Saigo, Maja Stark and Charley Hull.
Meanwhile, two of the tournament's biggest also endured frustrating starts.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda struggled to a three-over 74, a round marred by a double bogey and three bogeys against just two birdies, leaving her tied for 102nd and in danger of missing the cut.
Jeeno Thitikul, the world No. 2, also faltered late, bogeying the last two holes to settle for a 73 and join Saso in a tie below the projected cutoff.
Their slow starts underscored golf's unpredictable nature, where reputations offer little guarantee and fortunes can shift dramatically from one round to the next.
Saso never found her rhythm despite opening with 10 consecutive pars, unable to capitalize on several birdie opportunities. Her round finally unraveled with back-to-back bogeys from No. 11.
She prevented further damage by playing the remaining holes in even par before ending her day on a positive note, birdieing the last to snap a stretch of five consecutive pars. The closing birdie could provide the momentum she needs heading into Friday's second round as she fights to earn a place in the weekend field of the $9.1-million major championship.
Meanwhile, attention shifts to the Epson Tour, where Bianca Pagdanganan and fellow ICTSI-backed campaigners Dottie Ardina and Pauline del Rosario begin their title bids in the Four Winds Invitational on Friday at Blackthorn Golf Club in South Bend, Indiana.
Pagdanganan tees off at 8:14 a.m. from No. 1 with Mexico's Lauren Olivares and American Rylee Sutor. Ardina starts a minute earlier at 8:13 a.m. from No. 10 alongside Americans Kaitlyn Budde and Catherine Park.
Del Rosario, seeking to regain her best form, opens her campaign at 9:31 a.m. from No. 10 with China's Siyan Chen and Korea's Annie Kim.
Also in the field are two-time Epson Tour winner Clariss Guce, Sam Bruce and Tomi Arejola.
Guce tees off at 8:47 a.m. from No. 10 with Americans Jenny Coleman and Jennifer Chang. Bruce begins at 2:20 p.m. from No. 1 alongside Alexa Melton and Morgan Miller, while Arejola closes out the day's starting times at 2:31 p.m. from the 10th tee with American Hailey Borja and Scotland's Alison Muirhead.
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