Saso faces uphill battle as LPGA resumes in Arizona

MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso will be hard-pressed to top her two sixth-place efforts in the first three legs of this year’s LPGA Tour as she drew a late start in the opener of the Drive On Championship beginning Thursday (Friday, Manila time) at the Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Gold Canyon, Arizona.

But majority of the top guns are likewise launching their respective bids in the afternoon wave, guaranteeing a wild battle right in the first 18 holes of the $1.75 million event headlined by world No. 2 Nelly Korda, No. 3 Jin Young Ko and Thai No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 5 Minjee Lee have opted to skip this week’s championship but the depth of the field remains as talent-laden as ever with No. 6 Lexi Thompson likewise marking her comeback after a long layoff.

Saso, meanwhile, hopes to ride on her fiery closing 66 in Singapore that netted her solo sixth in the Women’s World Championship topped by Jin Young Ko three weeks ago. But the 2021 US Women’s Open champion will have her hands full against Scot Gemma Dryburgh and Korean Sei Young Kim at 1:17 p.m.

Korda, on the other hand, faces Jin Young Ko and Brooke Henderson in an early clash of the fancied bets at 12:55 p.m., while world No. 13 Danielle Kang launches her drive at 12:44 p.m. with Korean No. 8 In Gee Chun and fellow American Jennifer Kupcho.

The ICTSI-backed Saso, seeking to end a two-year title spell, tied for sixth in the circuit’s kickoff in Florida last January but failed to sustain a superb 36-hole start in Thailand and faltered in the last two rounds to finish at tied 20th.

She was heading for another mediocre finish in Singapore after a third round 73 but rallied in the final day with a 66 to post another Top 6 finish.