Back in a struggling rut, Yuka Saso missed her second consecutive major cut, limping to an error-filled, six-over-par 78 to bow out of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota on Friday (Saturday Manila time).
After battling through a challenging opening round to salvage an even-par 72, the Filipino-Japanese ace struggled early with back-to-back bogeys from the first hole and never fully recovered. While she birdied the eighth to snap a string of pars, she uncharacteristically dropped three strokes on the par-3 ninth, stumbling to a disastrous 40 on the front nine.
Unable to regain her rhythm, the ICTSI-backed two-time major winner opened her back nine with a bogey and dropped another stroke on the 13th for a 36-hole total of 150, five strokes short of the 145 cutline.
The early exit marked another disappointing major performance for Saso, who won the US Women’s Open title twice, but has since hit a wall, failing to advance there this year in a four straight cuts prior before snapping the slump with a tied-for-56th finish at the Meijer LPGA Classic last week.
While Saso faltered, South Korea’s Ina Yoon sustained her scorching start. Defying a heavy charge from a chasing pack of major champions, including World No. 1 Nelly Korda, the Solaire ambassador fired a 69 to build a commanding five-stroke lead at 12-under 132 halfway through the $13-million championship, the richest in women’s pro golf.
Chasing Yoon at 137 are major winners Brooke Henderson (68) and A Lim Kim (70), alongside Nasa Hataoka (67) and Haeran Ryu, who rocketed up the leaderboard with a flawless 64.
Hataoka capped her day in spectacular fashion, closing with an eagle and a birdie on the seventh and eighth holes.
Meanwhile, Korda lurked just one stroke further back at 138. Teeing off on the back nine, the Chevron Championship and US Women’s Open winner birdied four of her first nine holes before cooling off at the front with a bogey and a birdie to settle for a 68. She shared sixth place with Korea’s Do Eun Lee, who shot a second consecutive 69.
Yoon initially looked poised to match her stunning opening-round 63, picking up three birdies over her first eight holes. Though she cooled off on the back nine with two bogeys against a lone birdie, she still finished with a commanding lead.
As the tournament moves into the pivotal third round, the chasing pack will undoubtedly dial up the pressure. On Hazeltine’s demanding layout, the premium over the weekend won’t just be on ball-striking and putting, but on composure and raw nerve.