Saso comes up short in rally, stays 5 shots off Maguire

MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso’s scorching backside charge came to a screeching halt when the golfer bogeyed the par-5 17th for the second straight day although her second 69 in three days moved her back to joint eighth from a share of 16th after three rounds of play in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Springfield, New Jersey Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

But she remained five strokes behind Irish Leona Maguire, who two-putted for birdie on the closing par-5 hole and shot a 69, hanging tough by one over a fast-charging Jenny Shin of Korea with a 206 total heading to the final 18 holes of the $9 million championship, the year’s second major at the Baltusrol Golf Club’s Lower course.

Shin dazzled in a sunny day after two days of intermittent rain that softened the fairways and the greens, producing a solid 66 at the par-71 layout for a 207 and a clear shot at a major feat since finishing sixth in the 2017 Women’s British Open.

The ICTSI-backed Saso earlier pressed her own drive for a second major with three straight birdies to resume her backside drive after a wobbly one-over frontside 36. She moved within three shots off Maguire with another birdie on No. 15 with the closing two par-5s looking as the best scoring chance to inch closer for the 2021 US Women’s Open winner.

But she failed to get up-and-down on the tough 17th and missed her chance on the last hole which she eagled in the second round as she matched her first round output for a 54-hole aggregate of 211 and a share of eighth with three others.

She hardly improved on the greens, ending up with 32 putts, two less than in her second round stint that led to a 73. But she hopes to ride on her 13-putt showing in the last nine holes as she sets out for what looms to be a wild, wide-open final round battle.

England’s Stephanie Meadow came away with five birdies against a bogey for a 67 and closed in on Maguire with a 208 while first round leader Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa battled back with a 70 after a 73 to join Chinese Ruoning Yin, who carded a 69, at fourth with 209s.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko bogeyed three of the first four holes but birdied two of the next three and then racked up four straight birdies from No. 12 as she threatened at four-under overall. But she mishit her tee-shot on the par-3 No. 16 and made a bogey and failed to cash in on the closing long holes to finish with a 69.

She, however, gained from joint eighth to a share of sixth at 210, four strokes off Maguire, with American Lauren Coughlin, who shot a 68, while Megan Khang and Mina Harigae of the US and Chinese Xiyu Lin joined Saso at eighth after 67, 70 and 73, respectively.

Maguire, who grabbed the halfway lead with a 68, stayed in command with birdies on Nos. 1 and 7 then fought back from every miscue at the back to cling onto the lead. She birdied No. 15 after yielding a stroke on No. 11 and dominated the last hole after dropping another shot on the 17th.