Saso fades but Ko, Korda set up epic clash in CME Group Tour Championship

MANILA, Philippines — US Women's Open champ Yuka Saso might have put a hush ending to an otherwise remarkable LPGA maiden campaign with a second straight 73 Saturday but Jin Young Ko and Nelly Korda sent their spirited battle for the "winningest" tag and Player of the Year honors to an epic 18-hole clash after forcing their way to a four-way tie with Celine Boutier and Nasa Hataoka in the third round of the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida Saturday.

In a day jammed with riveting performances from the Tour's big guns, Ko blitzed the Tiburon Gold course with seven straight birdies from No. 2, only to end the run with a bogey on the ninth. She failed to hit any birdie at the back but her 66 proved enough to overhaul a six-stroke deficit and net her a shared view of the top at 202.

The World No. 1 Korda, who has traded the top ranking with Ko the last few months, also assembled a 14-under total the hard way, holing out with an eagle on No. 17 that spiked a 67 while Boutier, who held a four-shot lead over three others halfway through the $5 million event Friday, slowed down after back-to-back 65s, needing to birdie the par-5 penultimate hole to save a 72 and earn at least a piece of the lead.

Hataoka actually made the biggest leap from joint 19th although the ace Japaese wandered for quite a while before unleashing a strong finishing kick from No. 9. She remained way behind with a 35 start but birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 sparked her fiery charge that had her closing out hot with five birdies for a solid tournament-best 64.

The world No. 6 Saso, who started the season-ending event among the Tour's top 60 players at joint sixth but tumbled to a share of 29th with a second round 73, never recovered from a bogey on the first hole and a double-bogey on No. 4, her four birdies proving not enough to shore up her bid as she fumbled with two more bogeys and ended up with a 38-35.

Down at tied 40th and 10 strokes behind the leaders at 212, the ICTSI-backed Saso could only hope to rally and break into the Top 15 at most given the form and resolve of the players ahead of her, who have all jockeyed for striking position heading to the final 18 holes in pursuit of top honors and a boatload of cash.

But focus will surely be on the Ko-Korda faceoff with Hataoka in the championship group with the duo, with four victories each, both out not only to finish the season with the most number of wins but also the hotly-disputed Player of the Year honors.

Korda, winner of last week’s Pelican Championship, leads No. 2 Ko by 10 points with Sunday’s winner to earn 30 points and the runner-up gaining 10 points, making their clash truly a match to watch.

“I was feeling I can make very putt on frontnine,” said Ko of her seven birdie-blast. “I had a great round but I had a lot of good shot, good putt on frontnine but I had a lot of miss shot for back nine.”

“But it’s pretty good, and I shot better than yesterday, so it was fine,” added the Solaire-backed Korean ace, who captured the Player of the Year title the last time out.

But as much driven to shoot for a fifth win is Korda, who goes all out t,o cap a sterling season she highlighted with a gold medal feat in the Tokyo Olympics last August.

“I stuck my driver really well and then I just had like 145 yards over the bunker and I hit like a little controlled 9-iron,” said Korda of her late eagle feat. “It was so downwind and I hit it perfectly.”

Hataoka also had a near-perfect day at Tiburon, hitting all fairways and missing just one green while finishing with 28 putts. She thus moved within 18 holes away from ending the season with a big victory that would somehow erase the stigma of her playoff loss to Saso in the US Women’s Open last June.

Boutier, who had looked so solid with those pair of 65s, carded a lone birdie at the front and after bogeys on no. 12 and 16, she bounced back with a birdie on No. 17 to salvage and even par card and a spot at the helm.

“Even though I’ve been in this position before I’ve only won twice on tour and there are so many good players in the stretch,” said Boutier, who won the LPGA ShopRite Classic in New Jersey last month and remained in the hunt for a third LPGA crown despite her slowdown in the pivotal day. “So I just feel like I just, again, have to keep focusing on my game and try to get as confidence as I can in my putting tomorrow (Sunday) and see what happens.”

With Gaby Lopez and Mina Harigae, who will join Boutier in the other featured flight, stalking the leaders just a stroke behind at 203s after a pair of 69s, and Leona Maguire, Nanna Madsen and Lexi Thompson assembling identical 204s after 66, 67 and 68, respectively, a dash to the finish for the richest purse ever staked in women’s golf ($1.5 million) couldn’t be more exciting and enthralling.