Jun 08 (NHK) - Nineteen-year-old Saso Yuka has won the US Women's Open golf tournament after a playoff with fellow Japanese golfer Hataoka Nasa.
Saso started the final round on Sunday in second place, one stroke behind the leader.
After back-to-back double bogeys on the second and third holes, she recovered by birdying the 16th and 17th holes. She finished tied with 22-year-old Hataoka at four-under.
The playoff went to a third hole, where Saso made a birdie to edge out Hataoka.
Saso was born to a Japanese father and a Filipino mother and has dual nationality.
She has become the third golfer with Japanese citizenship to win a major women's title, following Higuchi Hisako at the US LPGA Championship in 1977 and Shibuno Hinako at the 2019 Women's British Open.
The tournament organizer says Saso matched the 2008 winner Inbee Park from South Korea as the youngest US Women's Open champion at 19 years, 11 months and 17 days.
