Overnight leader, World No.1 Park Sung Hyun held off a determined Yuka Saso of the Philippines to win the $100,000 The Country Club Ladies Invitational by two strokes on Friday.

The Country Club Ladies Invitational, a co-sanctioned event with Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT), is the third leg of the 2019 TLPGA Tour season.

Park, from Korea, registered a final-round 74 and a 7-under-par 209 at Laguna’s The Country Club for her second professional win in a row. She conquered the field last week at the World Women’s Championship in Singapore to take her sixth LPGA title which brought her back to the top position in women’s golf.

LPGA member, another local hope in Dottie Ardina signed off at 3-over-par to finish solo third. Princess Mary Superal, also from the Philippines, carded 76 and 221 to take outright fourth.

Yuka Saso, a 17-year-old Japanese Filipino, represents the Philippines and is ranked no.1 among local amateur golfers. However, she already won her country two Asian Games golf gold medals in both the individual and the team events in Jakarta last Summer.

Saso started the final round four shots behind Park, but put on a respectable fight throughout the day. However, a tee shot finding the water on the par-3 17th, which gave her a double-bogey in the end, had her finally fall short.

Earlier on Friday, Saso got her birdie hunt going already on the par-5 second hole, where Park needed a bunker save and made bogey.

Park finished the 7th hole in style from 10 feet and earned back a 3-stroke cushion. She could have added another birdie on the following par-5 8th hole, as she safely sent the ball onto the green in just two attempts, only to settle for par after a three-putt.

The duo made the turn with a three-shot gap.

Saso seized another chance on the 14th, whereas Park struggled on the 15th and finally dropped a shot to see her lead shrink to just one shot again with three holes to the finish line. The volume of the crowds was getting louder, mostly cheering for the young Saso.

However, Park stood calm and firm in front of her last three par putts. Saso gave a final push to close with a birdie, but the double-bogey on the 17th made it too tough to turn things around. Park’s victory is worth $15,000.

“I made some mistakes, but I played steady enough to not let this slip away from me. I’m happy to play on this fun and challenging course, and even happier to find the winning way again,” said Park, a two-time LPGA Tour major champion. “Yuka was such a fighter. She’s definitely one to watch among these young talents. She’s the real deal.”

Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒) needed 33 putts today, worse than in the previous rounds (26 and 32). She closed with a 77, finishing in equal 8th place at 9-over 225. Lee Hsin’s (李欣) final-round 76 pushed her up into a tie for 10th at 226. Chen Hsuan (陳萱) (76) and Babe Liu (劉嬿) (74) shared the 14th place at 227.