Yuka Saso won the US Women's Open Sunday at Lancaster Country Club.
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In a week where the score was tied at the US Women's Open, it was deservedly won by one of the few players on Sunday who committed to a round of 60s. Yuka Saso was the last one standing – her final round 68 was good enough for a three-shot victory and her second US Women's Open title.
Saso did not play very good golf – good golf may not have been possible this week, given the difficult setting at Lancaster Country Club. He four-putted the 6th hole for a double bogey and nearly repeated that on the 17th hole, triple-bogeying the closing stretch. But he was nearly perfect every other step of the way, posting five birdies in the program and leapfrogging three rivals who had started the day in the lead.
Saso started the day three shots behind Minjee Lee, Andrea Lee and Wichanee Meechai and hung around there as Minjee Lee drove for 1st. But little by little each leader made a mistake in front of the nine LCC. Two bogeys and a double for Andrea Lee. Same thing with Meechai. Three boxes of Minjee. Saso stayed steady for the first 11 holes and then rolled four birdies in the 5-hole stretch to make it three shots.
It was one of those 90-minute stretches that can happen during golf tournaments with difficult setups, as one player goes to the good side and everyone else is pulled to the other side. The final touch came on the 16th hole, a par-4 that went up to a drivable distance, when Saso hit the green in one of two birdies. By the time he entered 18 with a week's worth of four under, he was out of the field – the only thing left in doubt was who would finish second.
Saso burst onto the scene three years ago when she won the 2021 US Women's Open at the Olympic Club at just 19 years old, the youngest winner in the history of women's golf's biggest event. She has hovered on the brink of greatness since then, never winning but finishing second on three separate occasions, once at the 2023 Women's PGA Championship.
Now, she becomes the 15th player to win multiple US Women's Open titles, and is one of the youngest to accomplish this feat at just 22 years old. For her win, she will take home a $2.4 million winner's check, the largest prize in the women's game. He will also take a big step towards qualifying for the Olympics, which will be held later this summer in Paris. The qualifying period ends in two weeks, leaving room for shuffling, but Saso's win pushes him well within the safety mark.
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