Saso faces Madsen in CME Group Tour opener

MANILA, Philippines — Yuka Saso squares off with Dane Nanna Madsen in one of the top duels kicking off the CME Group Tour Championship Thursday (Friday, Manila time) in Naples, Florida, looking for a great start and a remarkable finish to a season marked by one runner-up effort but marred by a number of missed cut stints.

After scoring a major breakthrough in the US Women’s Open last year, Saso has had not much success after opening the season with an inspiring sixth place finish in the Hilton Grand Tournament of Champions and a third place effort in Gainbridge LPGA last January.

She missed the cut in the LPGA Drive On and failed to advance in six other events, her joint 12th finish in the Cognizant Founders Cup proving to be her best in 19 tournaments before finishing second in the LPGA Mediheal Championship ruled by England’s Jodi Shadoff last October.

The ICTSI-backed Saso placed eighth in her third-to-last LPGA event in the BMW Championship but floundered and limped to tied 51st in the TOTO Classic back home in Japan and tied for 13th in the last regular LPGA tournament in the Pelican Championship.

But this week’s finale offers so much opportunities for the top 60 players in the season about to end with Saso safely making it to the elite roster at No. 27.

She, however, will be in for a tough challenge with the rest also coming into the blue-ribbon event all primed up for the top $2 million prize in the $7 million championship.

Saso and Madsen face off at 10:30 a.m.

American Nelly Korda, back on the world’s top ranking after winning last week’s Pelican Champion in come-from-behind fashion, clashes with rising Japanese star Ayaka Furue at 11:30 a.m. while former world No. 1 Jin Young Ko hopes to get going despite being slowed down by a wrist injury as she collides with American Lilia Vu at 11:10 a.m.

Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul, who held the world’s top ranking for two weeks until she was dislodged by Korda last week, will be as much tested as the rest of the fancied bets as she drew multi-titled Kiwi Lydia Ko in the last pairing at 12:40 p.m. after the 12:30 duel between Canadian Brooke Henders on and Aussie Minjee Lee.