By: Max Bechtoldt
Scores have been relatively high at the CPKC Women’s Open this week, with the leader being at -6 through two rounds. That all changed with Mao Saigo in round three.
Japanese rookie Mao Saigo went super low Saturday, shooting 61, getting into the solo lead before the final group even went off. Saigo has been in good form this season, especially as of late, but has the chance for her best performance of the season.
Saigo made nine birdies, one eagle and no bogeys in route to the best round of the week by seven shots at the time she finished. While Saturday is yielding some lower scores, Saigo’s performance was particularly impressive.
Saigo hit an incredible 16 greens, but that wasn’t what made her round. What made her round was the absurd 23 putts, down from 34 and 31 respectively in the first two rounds. The dramatic improvement on the greens and in approach fueled this surge up the leaderboard.
The scores are low today as said above, so her spot on the leaderboard is in heavy jeopardy. That being said, she is in a strong position now.
Saigo has three top-10 finishes this season already, and two in her last four appearances. She recently overtook Gabi Ruffels for the lead in the Rookie of the Year standings. A top spot that doesn’t seem to be in jeopardy with this performance.
