Boutier-Saso fades in foursomes, bows out

MANILA, Philippines -- Celine Boutier and Yuka Saso struggled once again in the foursomes format, finishing with a two-over 72 and falling out of contention in the Dow Championship. The tournament, now led by Jennifer Kupcho and Ally Ewing, is taking place in Midland, Michigan.

After tying the scoring record with a 58 in Friday's four-ball at the Midland Country Club, Boutier and Saso couldn't maintain their momentum in the alternate shot format. They recorded three bogeys and only managed a single birdie.

With a total score of 204, including a 74 in Thursday’s foursomes, the pair dropped to 29th place among the 35 remaining teams in the $3 million event.

This tournament serves as a tune-up for the third major of the year, the Evian Championship, scheduled for July 11-14 in France.

Kupcho and Ewing, meanwhile, posted a 67, breaking away from a five-team tie with a 195 total. They are now one stroke ahead of Haeji Kang and In Kyung Kim, who fired a 65 to secure second place at 196, tied with Atthaya Thitikul and Ruoning Yin, who scored a 66 for a total of 196.

Despite trailing by nine strokes, Boutier and the ICTSI-backed Saso are expected to bounce back in the final round's four-ball (best ball) format, similar to their strong performance in the second round.