Yuka Saso pulls away late to pick up second career U.S. Women's Open title

Yuka Saso was more than ready to make her move on Sunday afternoon in Pennsylvania.

She’s now won her second U.S. Women’s Open.

Saso, after Minjee Lee fell apart after leading the field early in the day at Lancaster Country Club, flew ahead to win the major championship on Sunday. Saso posted a final-round 4-under 66, which pushed her to 4-under on the week. That gave her a three-shot win over Hinako Shibuno and the rest of the field.

Saso, 22, is now the youngest two-time winner in U.S. Women’s Open history, and she’s just the third player in LPGA Tour history to grab her first two career wins at major championships. The win earned Saso $2.4 million, which was part of a record $12 million purse for the event.

Andrea Lee, Minjee Lee and Wichanee Meechai started Sunday in a three-way tie for the lead after a big Saturday in Lancaster — which came a day after top-ranked Nelly Korda missed the cut following her opening-round 80 on Thursday. Minjee Lee eagled the par-5 7th to keep herself in contention, and Lee finished with a very solid 67 to stay in the mix.

But on Sunday, after a birdie to open her round, Minjee Lee fell apart. She made four bogeys and a double on her next 11 holes to fall out of contention almost instantly. Saso, despite making a double on the par-3 6th while four-putting on the green, instead turned it on on the back side. She made three birdies in four holes — including a clutch putt at the par-3 12th — to break open a two-shot lead down the stretch.

Saso then drove the green on the par-4 16th to set up an easy two-putt birdie, which gave her a three-shot lead at the time and sealed her win.

Saso’s first U.S. Open win came in 2021 when she was just 19 years old. She matched Inbee Park’s mark for the youngest woman to ever win the event to the day. The 22-year-old had just one top-10 finish entering this week — at the T-Mobile Match Play in April — and she missed the cut at the Mizuho Americas Open her last time out.

Hinako Shibuno, who gave Saso a standing ovation in the fairway as she finished ahead of her, finished alone in second at 1-under after going 2-over on the day. Andrea Lee, after bogeying the 18th, dropped to even par after her 5-over 75 to close out the tournament. She finished tied with Ally Ewing in third. Saso and Shibuno, who are both from Japan, were the only players to finish under par for the week. It's the first time that only two players have finished under par at the U.S. Women's Open since 2014.