Manila, Philippines — Moriya Jutanugarn secured the eighth and final spot in the T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, Nevada after defeating Brooke Henderson and Yuka Saso in a playoff on Friday (Saturday Manila time).
Jutanugarn’s impressive performance earned her a matchup against top seed Irish Leona Maguire. Maguire led the three-round stroke play phase with a score of 210, three strokes ahead of Minami Katsu from Japan, and Americans Angel Yin and Rose Zhang.
Sei Young Kim finished in fifth place with a score of 214, while Nelly Korda, the world No. 1, maintained her bid for a fourth consecutive championship by securing the sixth spot with a score of 69. Korean Narin An settled for seventh place with a score of 216 after a strong performance.
Saso had a chance to advance during regulation play but ultimately missed the opportunity, leading to a playoff with Henderson, Jutanugarn, and Korean Hae Ran Ryu. Despite multiple chances in the playoff, Saso fell short of securing the final spot.
In the end, Jutanugarn’s precise play and birdie putt on the third playoff hole sealed her victory and advancement to the next stage of the competition. The upcoming head-to-head matches on Saturday morning promise thrilling games as the remaining contenders battle it out for a spot in the finals.
