Saso fades with 72 at Dana Open, Arevalo makes Epson Tour cut with 2nd 70

MANILA, Philippines -- Yuka Saso failed to sustain back-to-back under-par rounds with a one-over 72 Saturday as she tumbled to joint 46th after 54 holes of the Dana Open heading to a wild finish at the Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.

American Lucy Li rebounded from a two-bogey mishap after seven holes with a run of birdies – six – as she shot a 67 and stayed at the helm at 199, just a shot ahead of Germany’s Caroline Masson and title-hungry Lexi Thompson, also of the US, who matched 65s for 200s.

World No. 4 Lydia Ko rallied with a 64 to lead the 202 scorers, who included defending champion Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who fired a 67, Korean ace Sei Young Kim, Aussie Hannah Green, Chinese Xiyu Lin and Ruoning Yin and Ireland’s Leona Maguire.

Kim carded a 65, Green, Lin and Maguire all shot 66s, while Yin turned in a 68 to move within three strokes off Li.

But Saso, who started the round just five shots behind the leader on 68-69 rounds, missed giving herself a chance for redemption coming off back-to-back missed cut stints in the AIG Women’s Open and the CP Women’s Open as she bogeyed Nos. 4 and 5.

She recovered a stroke on the par-5 No. 7 but could not drain another until at No. 17, the last par-5, that however just negated her third bogey on the 16th.

With a 209 aggregate, the ICTSI-backed 2021 US Women’s Open champion fell 10 strokes off Li with 18 holes left in the $1.75 million championship.

Saso grappled with her long game all day, hitting just five fairways on a big 303-yard driving norm. She also missed seven greens, two of which she bogeyed off the bunkers but finished with 29 putts.

Over in the Epson Tour, Abby Arevalo bucked a double-bogey mishap on the par-5 11th and a bogey with five birdies as she posted a second straight 70 but she remained too far behind the leader at tied 41st in the Wildhorse Ladies Classic in Pendleton, Oregon, also Saturday.

Arevalo’s 140 dropped her eight shots behind American Daniela Iacobelli, who took command at 132 with a 67 with Aussie Grace Kim and Xiaowen Yin of China matching 133s after a 69 and 70, respectively, to make it a crowded leaderboard in the $200,000 event.

Laura Wearn also fought back with a 66 to put herself in contention in the 54-hole tournament at 134 while fellow American Anna Redding carded a 68 for a 135.

Working on a 250-yard driving clip, Arevalo, whose campaign is also supported by the world leading port operator, missed just three fairways and the same number of greens but struggled on the tricky surface, finishing with 32 putts.

But ICTSI teammate Dottie Ardina fell by the wayside after an opening 70, skidding with a 76 marred by three bogeys and a double bogey with only a birdie to show. She finished with a 146, five shots off the cutoff score.

US-based Filipina and two-time Epson Tour leg winner Clariss Guce also failed to advance with a 145 after a 74.