FILIPINA-JAPANESE Yuka Saso and French partner Celine Boutier lost steam after their second-round sizzler, submitting a two-over 72 that virtually booted them out of contention for the Dow Championship crown Saturday in Midland, Michigan.
Reigning US Women’s Open titlist Mmess. Saso and Boutier, who tied the scoring record of 58 in Friday’s Round 2 played in four-ball (best ball) format, struggled once again in the foursomes (alternate) format on moving day and managed only a single birdie against three bogeys.
Counting their 74 in the opening foursomes Thursday, Mmess. Saso and Bouiter tote an aggregate score of 204, nine off the 195 of American leaders Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho.
They sit at joint 29th — seven places down from their Round 2 standing — and hope to deliver another hot performance in the culminating four-ball round Sunday to get a stronger finish in the $3-million team competition.
Mmess. Ewing and Kupcho, meanwhile, tallied four birdies against one bogey for a 67 that lifted them to solo first and one up against South Koreans Haeji Kang and In Kyung Kim (65) and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and China’s Ruoning Yin (66), who are at 196.
Paris Olympics-bound Filipinas Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina had missed the halfway cut last Friday. — Olmin Lebya
