Saso fights to stay above cut line at Women's Open

MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso birdied the final hole to card a three-over 75 on Thursday (Friday Manila time), but faced a formidable challenge in the second round as she aims to secure a spot in the weekend play of the AIG Women’s Open in Scotland.

Saso currently sits just above the projected cut line, tied for 63rd place. To ensure her place in the weekend playoff at the iconic St. Andrews’ Old Course in Fife, she will need to post an under-par score in the second round, anticipating a strong push from the rest of the elite field.

England’s Charley Hull delivered a remarkable performance, defying expectations with a 67. After a steady front nine of 35, Hull caught fire in the last nine holes, gunning down four birdies to seize the lead in the final major championship of the LPGA Tour calendar.

But hot on her heels are two major champions, including World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who birdied the 14th hole and closed her round with back-to-back birdies for a 68 to tie with Ruoning Yin for second place.

Yin, who narrowly defeated Saso by one stroke to win the 2023 Women’s PGA Championship, was poised to claim first-round honors with a six-under card.

Starting from the back nine, Yin highlighted her impressive game with a streak of three consecutive birdies from No. 3. However, she faltered with bogeys on Nos. 6 and 8, allowing Hull to pull ahead.

Despite taking a break after a disappointing 54th place finish at the Paris Olympics, the ICTSI-backed Saso's struggles continued. She recorded four bogeys against a single birdie on the front nine.

While she managed to birdie the 10th hole, she dropped shots on Nos. 12 and 13 before closing with a much-needed birdie.

Saso’s performance off the tee was solid, missing only four fairways with a 264-yard driving average. But she struggled with her iron play, missing seven greens in regulation and needing 33 putts to complete the round.

Additionally, her bunker play proved costly, as she failed to save par twice from three visits to the sand.