Yuka Saso survives brutal starts of US Women’s Open that sent Korda to an 80

Yuka Saso survives brutal starts of US Women’s Open that sent Korda to an 80
Yuka Saso of Japan plays a shot onto the 10th green during the first round of the US Women's Open Presented by Ally at Lancaster Country Club on May 30, 2024 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (AFP)
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Updated 31 May 2024
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Yuka Saso survives brutal starts of US Women’s Open that sent Korda to an 80

Yuka Saso survives brutal starts of US Women’s Open that sent Korda to an 80
  • Saso: I made really good putts. I think I was more lucky than playing good
  • The wind was swirling at some of the higher points on the course, and the greens were firm and bouncy, just how the USGA likes it

LANCASTER, Pennsylvania: Former champion Yuka Saso leaned on her putter to survive a brutally tough start to the US Women’s Open on Thursday, an opening round that featured Nelly Korda making a 10 on her third hole and only four players barely beating par.

Saso had three big par putts to start the back nine at Lancaster Country Club, rolled in two medium-length birdie putts toward the end of her round and finished with three putts from the collar of the 18th green for bogey and a 2-under 68.

It felt even lower than that considering all the carnage around her. The leading 10 players from the women’s world ranking had an average score of 75.5 — including Korda’s 80 — and only two-time major champion Minjee Lee was not over par.

“It’s a US Open. It’s a major. It’s the biggest major championship, and I think it’s one of the most difficult weeks that we’ll play,” Saso said. “I don’t tell myself to be confident or anything like that.”

Saso, who seized on a Lexi Thompson meltdown in 2021 to win the Women’s Open at Olympic Club, led by one shot over Andrea Lee, Wichanee Meechai of Thailand and recently crowned NCAA champion Adela Cernousek of France.

Cernousek, a junior at Texas A&M, had company among amateurs. Three of them were in the group at even-par 70 — US Women’s Amateur champion Megan Schofill, Catherine Park and 15-year-old Asterisk Talley, who is coming off her first USGA title at the US Women’s Amateur Four-ball Championship.

Lee, who picked up her second major in the Women’s Open at Pine Needles two years ago, holed out from 15 feet just off the green at the par-3 17th to get back to even par.

“Just come back and try and beat the course again,” she said.

The rest of the LPGA Tour’s biggest stars took a beating, none as bad or as shocking as Korda. The No. 1 player in women’s golf, Korda arrived at Lancaster having won six of her last seven tournaments. Three holes into her opening round, she was sent reeling.

Korda hit from a back bunker into a stream on the par-3 12th hole, and then pitched into the stream from the other side twice on her way to a 10. She added four bogeys over the next 15 holes and signed for an 80, matching her highest round as a professional.

“Not a lot of positive thoughts, honestly,” Korda said. “I just didn’t play well today. I didn’t hit it good. I found myself in the rough a lot. Making a 10 on a par 3 will definitely not do you any good at a US Open.

“Yeah,” she concluded, “just a bad day at the office.”

It was a bad day for so many others. Rose Zhang, who ended Korda’s five-tournament winning streak three weeks ago in New Jersey, looked to be shellshocked when she walked off the 18th green with yet another three-putt bogey and a 79.

Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson each shot 80. The average score for the field was 75.2.

The wind was swirling at some of the higher points on the course, and the greens were firm and bouncy, just how the USGA likes it. The 156-player field produced just over 900 scores of bogey or worse — in Korda’s case, a septuple bogey.

Thompson, likely playing in her final US Women’s Open after announcing she will no longer play a full schedule after this year, started her back nine by going from bunker to bunker to bunker to thick rough and taking triple bogey. She shot 78.

Saso picked up 5.7 shots on the field with her putter, and it carried her to the lead.

“I made really good putts. I think I was more lucky than playing good,” Saso said.

She has a shot at a peculiar slice of victory this week if she were to win and become the only Women’s Open champion to play under two flags.

Saso won as a Filipino at the Olympic Club and the following year — before turning 21 — declared her citizenship to be Japan (her father is Japanese). A big week could also thrust her into position to get back to the Olympics under a different flag.

That feels like a long way off, especially after such a hard day of work.

“There’s so much golf left,” Saso said. “The golf course is very difficult and the conditions are very tough, especially with the wind with it swirling and when it’s blowing 15 mph with the firm greens and fast greens.”

It didn’t seem to hurt the amateur, particularly Cernousek. She dropped only two shots, one of them on a three-putt from 40 feet on the 14th hole, and held her nerve to break par. She was amazed seeing her name on every scoreboard.

“I was like, ‘Wow!’ I was watching every leaderboard on the course,” she said.

Talley is one of two 15-year-olds in the field at Lancaster and played well above her years with smart decisions when she got out of position. Her one gaffe came on the par-5 seventh hole when she only advanced her second shot about 50 yards out of the thick rough, laid up and then put it in the water fronting the green. She made a triple bogey.

But Talley — her mother says Asterisk is Greek for “Little Star” — followed with a nine-hole stretch of three birdies and six pars, not dropping another shot until the 17th,

“I feel like I could have done a lot better today, but I’m not mad at all about my round,” Talley said. “I was hearing everybody even par is a good round today. I wish I could have been a couple under par.”


Great Britain & Ireland dominate Europeans on first day of 2025 Team Cup in Abu Dhabi

Great Britain & Ireland dominate Europeans on first day of 2025 Team Cup in Abu Dhabi
Updated 11 January 2025
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Great Britain & Ireland dominate Europeans on first day of 2025 Team Cup in Abu Dhabi

Great Britain & Ireland dominate Europeans on first day of 2025 Team Cup in Abu Dhabi
  • Great Britain & Ireland take an early 3½ — 1½ lead at biennial Team Cup after Day 1 Fourball session
  • Captains Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose both lost their opening games of the tournament at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort

ABU DHABI: Great Britain & Ireland took the spoils in three of the opening matches of the 2025 Team Cup as they moved into an early 3½ — 1½ lead over Continental Europe after the Friday fourballs session at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.

Despite losing the opening match of the session, GB&I Captain Justin Rose’s selections for the other four matches proved inspired as they claimed three and a half of the four remaining available points.

Rose and Matt Wallace lost 3&1 to the French pair of Romain Langasque and Matthieu Pavon, but the scores were quickly levelled by Laurie Canter and Jordan Smith who beat Rasmus Hojgaard and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 1Up.

GB&I then moved ahead after Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin beat Julien Guerrier, who was drafted in as a late replacement for Nicolai Hojgaard and Antoine Rozner.

Matthew Jordan and Paul Waring halved their match against Niklas Norgaard and Thorbjorn Olesen, while in the anchor match Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai defeated Matteo Manassero and Continental Europe Captain Francesco Molinari 4&2 after winning three consecutive holes from the 14th to close out the match.

Both captains have made changes to their pairings for the first session of foursomes on Saturday morning, with Rose sending out three new pairs with Molinari conversely keeping three of his groups together.

In the opening match, Olesen and Norgaard remain paired together and will face Hatton and Wallace. The two captains will go head-to-head in match two, with Molinari and Guerrier taking on Rose and Fleetwood.

Hojgaard and Neergaard-Petersen will take on Rai and McKibbin in the third match, followed by Manassero and Rozner against Waring and Jordan. In the final match, Pavon and Langasque, Continental Europe’s only victorious pair from Friday will play Smith and Canter, who also won their match on the opening day.


‘Delighted’ to return to Abu Dhabi, says Team Cup director

‘Delighted’ to return to Abu Dhabi, says Team Cup director
Updated 10 January 2025
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‘Delighted’ to return to Abu Dhabi, says Team Cup director

‘Delighted’ to return to Abu Dhabi, says Team Cup director
  • Graham Glynn spoke to Arab News about the reasons for hosting the Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, the players taking part, and event’s importance for Ryder Cup selection

ABU DHABI: The Team Cup, the UAE’s first major golf tournament of 2025, tees off in Abu Dhabi on Friday, as Continental Europe, led by Francesco Molinari, aim to defend their title against a Great Britain & Ireland team captained by Justin Rose.

Ahead of the match-play event, Arab News spoke with Team Cup Championship Director Graham Glynn, who looked ahead to the competition over the weekend at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.

The popularity of golf in the region continues to grow. What makes the Team Cup different to some of the other more established events?

There is no doubt that golf fans within the UAE are spoilt for choice when it comes to high-profile events.

In November, we enjoyed the inaugural DP World Tour Play-Offs, comprised of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship, while the New Year sees the return of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

While the Team Cup (formerly Hero Cup) is less established than those tournaments, what makes the event stand out from others is the match-play format, as opposed to the more traditional stroke-play format.

Match-play golf calls upon collective contributions and, in the Team Cup, every player will be involved in each session, making it the ultimate team test as Continental Europe, led by Francesco Molinari, aim to defend their title against Justin Rose’s Great Britain & Ireland.

While similar to the Ryder Cup, the format is not identical, with players paired up for the first two days, before the final-day singles against each other.

The collaborative element is something fans in the UAE won’t be used to watching in-person, and will undoubtedly make for some exciting and gripping action.

Why was Abu Dhabi Golf Resort selected as the host venue for the tournament?

We are blessed, here in the UAE, to have an array of elite-level golf courses all across the country, and there is certainly no shortage of options.

Abu Dhabi Golf Resort is one of the most impressive courses in the region and offers the perfect layout for match-play golf.

The venue opened over 20 years ago and boasts an illustrious history with tournament golf having played host to high-profile events down the years, including the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, while some of the biggest names in the sport have competed there.

From a logistical perspective, it’s a great venue due to the fact there is an on-site hotel, meaning players have the course and practice facilities on their doorstep, along with the world-renowned Falcon Clubhouse, which offers breathtaking views of the course.

Access for spectators, both in terms of getting to the course, and then moving around once on-site, is also fantastic, which is obviously hugely important for an event which will attract large numbers of fans.

Having hosted the Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort in 2023, we were delighted with its success both from a player and fan perspective, which is why we have chosen to return for the Team Cup.

With the likes of Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Francesco Molinari and the Hojgaard twins (Nicolai and Rasmus) confirmed to be competing, what does that say about the overall quality of the competition?

There will certainly be a strong lineup of talent on show, with plenty of big names who fans will be familiar with, and both teams each have players who have previously competed in the Ryder Cup.

However, what I really enjoy about this tournament is the fact we have those high-profile figures playing alongside some of the DP World Tour’s blossoming talents, with both teams combining youth and experience.

For example, the event’s oldest (Justin Rose) and youngest (Tom McKibbin) players will be part of the same team, with 23 years between them, which is a wonderful story and indicative of what the Team Cup is all about.

Aside from the big names, which players should fans look out for?

Italy’s Matteo Manassero is undoubtedly a player to watch, and he has a very interesting backstory, having become the youngest winner in DP World Tour history, at the age of 17, when he clinched the Castello Masters in 2010, before then stepping away from the game completely.

Following his return in 2019, he has continued to improve. This year, he won the Jonsson Workwear Open and finished 12th on the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Rankings, also securing a PGA TOUR card for 2025.

Aaron Rai, from England, is one of the lesser-known players in the competition, but don’t be fooled. He is a highly accomplished performer who boasts two DP World Tour victories, including at the Scottish Open in 2020 when he defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff. He won on the PGA TOUR earlier this year and is one to watch.

Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin is the youngest player involved at 21 and having only turned professional in 2021, he has already claimed a maiden DP World Tour victory at last year’s Porsche European Open.

Regardless of age or experience, the Team Cup is a tournament packed full of quality, and we can all look forward to watching some brilliant golf over the three days.

Can you tell us about the structure and format of the event?

The event will follow the same format as 2023, with the teams competing in match play across one session of fourballs on the Friday, two sessions of foursomes on the Saturday and one session of singles on the Sunday.

Every player will take part in all four of the sessions. Each match will be worth one point, and the team who crosses the 12.5-point mark will be crowned Team Cup winners.

With so much talent on show, across both teams, we are hugely excited about what’s in store and I think it will be a tight and exciting battle.

How important is the event in terms of Ryder Cup selection?

It will certainly play a part, although only Luke Donald, who will lead Team Europe at the Ryder Cup, knows to what extent.

Luke has been heavily involved in proceedings up to now, and he has spoken publicly about how significant the Hero Cup was in 2023, particularly in relation to experiencing the uniqueness of a team environment.

As we know, there were players involved in that event who went on to play key roles in Team Europe’s success in Italy.

Competing in the Ryder Cup is a major milestone for any European player, and naturally those who are involved in the Team Cup will be eager to stake their claim, which should make for some fantastic competitive action.


Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland set for Team Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi

Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland set for Team Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi
Updated 10 January 2025
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Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland set for Team Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi

Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland set for Team Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi
  • Europe captain Francesco Molinari faces off against fellow major champion and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, who leads GB&I
  • The event tees off on Friday with a fourballs session, is followed on Saturday by 2 sessions of foursomes and concludes with singles on Sunday

ABU DHABI: Continental Europe, led by captain Francesco Molinari, begin their defense of the Team Cup against Great Britain & Ireland at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort on Friday.
The Italian, who became the first golfer from his country to become a major champion when he triumphed at The Open in 2019, was in charge when the Europeans claimed a 14½-10½ victory over GB&I, captained by Tommy Fleetwood, at the inaugural event (then called the Hero Cup) in 2023, personally contributing three-and-a-half points to the cause.
This time, Molinari is facing face off against fellow major champion, and Ryder Cup teammate, Justin Rose, who is captaining the opposition in an event that serves as an important part of Europe’s Ryder Cup preparations ahead of this year’s contest at Bethpage in New York in September.
The members of the two, 10-man Team Cup squads boast a combined total of 69 DP World Tour titles between them, and include four Ryder Cup players: Molinari, Rose, Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton.
“I think that the experience from two years ago is going to come in handy,” Molinari said. “I think a lot of the stuff that we did worked. I think obviously we were lucky to get the support from my brother and the other past Ryder Cup captains.”
Rose said of his role as captain: “It’s an honor, first and foremost. I think it’s been something that’s sort of been on my mind. Because, obviously, sometimes when you play as a player, you’re obviously preparing all the time for tournaments that come up but when you have something like this looming large, you start thinking about it months in advance.”
The Team Cup is a matchplay contest that tees off on Friday with a fourballs session, is followed on Saturday by two sessions of foursomes, and concludes with singles on Sunday. Every player competes in each of the sessions.
Rose will be in action in the first match on the opening day alongside five-time DP World Tour winner Matt Wallace. They will take on the French pair of Romain Langasque, who won the Amateur Championship in 2015, and Matthieu Pavon, who last season became the first Frenchman for more than 100 years to win on the PGA Tour.
Five-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Hojgaard, who missed the 2023 event as a result of injury, will partner last year’s Challenge Tour Road to Mallorca Rankings winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen against the English pair of Laurie Canter and Jordan Smith.
Alongside the action on the course, there will be a host of activities and events throughout the three days of the event for fans to enjoy. This includes musical entertainment, which begins on Friday with a performance by Irish singer Rory McGettigan. On Saturday, Shades of Jade will take the stage with their dynamic blend of jazz, pop, funk and party classics. After the champions are crowned on the 18th green on Sunday, singer-guitarist The Dazzler will round off the event with an evening of his signature singalongs.


Saudi golf team to compete in Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco

Saudi golf team to compete in Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco
Updated 07 January 2025
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Saudi golf team to compete in Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco

Saudi golf team to compete in Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco
  • Othman Al-Mulla, Saud Al-Sharif among top Saudi golfers taking part in event’s 2nd edition
  • Abdulkarim Al-Najran, Ali Babatin to represent Kingdom in amateur category

RIYADH: Top professional Saudi golfers, including Othman Al-Mulla and Saud Al-Sharif, will represent the Kingdom’s national team in the second edition of the Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco.
The event will take place at Mazagan Resort in the major port city of El Jadida on Jan. 9-12.
A media statement on Tuesday said that the participation aligns with the efforts of the Saudi Golf Federation to enhance the Kingdom’s presence in the Arab and international sports landscape, and showcase Saudi talent in the sport.
Al-Mulla and Al-Sharif are two prominent names in the Saudi sports scene who aim to achieve strong results in the competition.
Golfers Abdulkarim Al-Najran and Ali Babatin will represent the Kingdom in the amateur category, reflecting the country’s commitment to nurturing and developing young talent in golf.
SGF is dedicated to creating opportunities for Saudi players to compete in major international and regional tournaments, striving for achievements that elevate Saudi Arabia’s global sports standing.
The Arab Professional Golf Championship highlights Saudi and Arab talent while fostering sports interaction in Arab countries.
Organized by the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation in coordination with the Arab Golf Federation, the championship reflects a shared ambition to develop golf in the Arab world, showcase regional talent and strengthen Arab ties through sports excellence.


Matsuyama maintains one-shot lead over Morikawa on low-scoring day at Sentry

Matsuyama maintains one-shot lead over Morikawa on low-scoring day at Sentry
Updated 05 January 2025
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Matsuyama maintains one-shot lead over Morikawa on low-scoring day at Sentry

Matsuyama maintains one-shot lead over Morikawa on low-scoring day at Sentry
  • Japan’s Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, got things going with a run of four straight birdies from the third through the sixth
  • Sunday promised to be another Matsuyama-Morikawa duel

 LOS ANGELES: Hideki Matsuyama piled up 11 birdies in an 11-under par 62 on Saturday to set the 54-hole tournament record at 27-under and maintain a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa at The Sentry tournament at Kapalua, Hawaii.

Morikawa also posted a 62, his featuring nine birdies and an eagle.

With the winds that so often buffet the Plantation Course again largely absent, five players posted rounds of 10-under or better.

Matsuyama’s gave him a 54-hole score of 192 — one stroke better than the previous 54-hole tournament record.

Japan’s Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, got things going with a run of four straight birdies from the third through the sixth. He rolled in a 58-foot birdie putt at the par-five ninth to make the turn level with Morikawa.

After birdies at the 10th and 12th he took the lead for good with a three-foot birdie at the 14th. That launched a run of three straight birdies, and Matsuyama kept the momentum with an unlikely par at 17 after his tee shot wound up on the wrong side of the cart path.

He closed with a birdie at the par-five 18th, where he muscled his second shot to the edge of the green and two-putted to maintain his advantage on Morikawa.

“Collin played well and I just kind of followed him, so good day,” said Matsuyama, who is closing in on his 20th professional win and his 11th on the PGA Tour.

Morikawa hit 12 of 15 fairways and every green in regulation. He kept the pressure on Matsuyama all the way, starting with an eight-foot birdie at the fist.

After birdies at the third and fourth he curled in a 26-foot eagle putt at the fifth and was six-under for the day after a birdie at the ninth.

He added birdies at 11 and 12, and another pair at 15 and 16 before closing with a birdie at 18.

“Today was really, really good,” said Morikawa, whose six PGA Tour titles include the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 British Open. “Couple shots out there (were) a little squirrely, but for the most part the irons were center face — knew where they were going.”

His most recent win was the 2023 Zozo Championship in Japan, where he ended a near two-year title drought, and Morikawa was delighted that work he’d put in during the off-season was paying off in the opening tournament of the season.

“It’s nice to have it click together,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you’re immediately going to finish top 10, top five, have a chance to win. But it’s nice to be able to put it all together and shoot some scores in a tournament setting.”

Sunday promised to be another Matsuyama-Morikawa duel. Belgian Thomas Detry was four shots behind Morikawa after a 65 for 197.

South Korean Im Sungjae carded an impressive 62 to claim solo fourth on 198 while England’s Harry Hall posted a 66 for 199.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler wasn’t among the 60-strong field after hurting his hand in a Christmas Day cooking accident.