TOKYO Olympian Yuka Saso wound up tied for 19th place in the ShopRite Ladies Professional Golfers Association Classic which Celine Boutier won after she birdied two of her last three holes for a final round-under 63.
Saso closed out with a 69 and together with her 67 and 70 in the first two rounds, ended her campaign at seven under 206, the same score submitted by seven other golfers.
Saso started with an eagle in the third hole and birdied Nos. 8 and 14, but bogeyed the sixtth and 15th holes.
The other Filipinos—Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina—finished in a tie for 27th and 44th, respectively. Pagdanganan had a 68 for 207 and Ardina also carded a 68 for 209.
Saso banked $18,615 (P945,000), Pagdanganan earned $13,930 (P707,000) and Ardina $7,123 (P361,000).
Boutier prevailed when South Korea’s best two players faltered down the stretch at Seaview in Galloway, New Jersey.
Starting the final round five shots behind, Boutier ran off six birdies on the front nine of the windy Bayside Course at Seaview to join a growing list of contenders.
The 27-year-old from France holed a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 16 and then birdied the par-five 18th from five feet to set the target at 14-under 199.
Jin Young Ko and Inbee Park, who shared the lead going into the final round, couldn’t catch her.
Ko, going for her third win in her last five starts on the LPGA Tour, appeared to be in control until she started missing putts from the 10-foot range.
Boutier won $262,500 for the victory. With AP
Image courtesy of AP