FIL-JAPANESE Yuka Saso posted the highest finish among the Philippine bets in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Lotte Championship at joint 56th on Saturday at the Hoakalei Country Club in Oahu, Hawaii.
Ms. Saso birdied two of the last four holes to salvage an even-par 72 in the final round and finish the tournament at four-over 292, 15 shots off Korean Hyo Joo Kim’s winning 277.
The 2021 US Open champion Ms. Saso, who had earlier rounds of 73-74-73, netted $5,184 (around P270,000) as she wound up ahead of Dottie Ardina (joint 64th) and Bianca Pagdanganan (joint 67th) in the final standings.
Ms. Ardina closed out with a three-over 75 for a five-over 293 tally while Ms. Pagdanganan fired her best card of the tournament, a three-under 69, that lifted her to a 72-hole aggregate of six-over 294.
The 28-year-old Ms. Ardina, who had three birdies against five bogeys in the last round, went home with $4,508 (P235,000). Ms. Pagdanganan gained shots on Nos. 1, 3, 10, 11 and 18 to offset bogeys on the sixth and 12th and finish a stroke off Ms. Ardina for a $4,117 (P214,000) take home.
Meanwhile, Ms. Kim signed for a one-under 71 and 11-under total to beat Japanese Hinako Shibuno (279 after a 70) by two.
Ms. Kim, the 2014 Evian Championship ruler, banked $300,000 for this triumph, her fifth in the LPGA. Hinako Shibuno, the 2019 Women’s British Open winner, got $182,956. — Olmin Leyba