Yuka Saso

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In this Japanese name, the surname is Saso.
Yuka Saso
笹生 優花
2018 Asian Games PH gold medalists Yuka Saso (cropped).jpg
Saso with her two gold medals she won at the 2018 Asian Games.
Personal information
Born (2001-06-20) 20 June 2001 (age 20)
San Ildefonso, Bulacan, Philippines[1]
Height166 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Nationality Philippines
Career
Turned professional2019
Current tour(s)LPGA of Japan Tour
LPGA Tour
Professional wins3
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour1
LPGA of Japan Tour2
Best results in LPGA major championships
(wins: 1)
ANA InspirationT50: 2021
Women's PGA C'shipT21: 2021
U.S. Women's OpenWon: 2021
Women's British OpenT39: 2021
Evian ChampionshipDNP
Medal record

Yuka Saso (笹生 優花, Sasō Yūka) is a Filipina professional golfer and won the first ever gold medal for the Philippines in both women's individual and women's team event in Asian Games golf competitions.[2][3][4][5]

Early life[]

Saso was born on 20 June 2001, to a Filipina mother and a Japanese father, hence her Japanese name,[6] started training the sport of golf at the age of eight in 2009.[1] She admired Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy as a role model and watched video clips of him as a teenager, modeling her game after his style.[7]

Amateur career[]

At the 2017 PSA Annual Awards, Saso received an award for her crucial role in winning the gold medal at the 2016 World Junior Girls Championship team event.[8] Saso competed at the 2018 Women's Victorian Open as a part of the 2018 Ladies European Tour and finished at 17th position in the women's individual event.

With Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go, Saso secured an unexpected historic gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in the women's team event.[9][10][11] She also went on to win the women's individual event, which was also the first gold medal to be earned by Philippines in women's individual golf event at an Asian Games event.[12]

Saso also took part in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she almost won a medal.[13] After the final round of the women's individual competition, two other golfers, Alessia Nobilio of Italy and Emma Spitz of Austria, matched her result of 214 with Kim Grace of Australia winning the gold medal. Saso, Nobilio, and Spitz had to take part in a three-way playoff. Saso narrowly failed to win a medal with Nobilio winning silver and Spitz bronze.[14] Saso also played in the mixed team event pairing with male golfer and compatriot, Carl Jano Corpus.[13]

Saso did not participate in the Southeast Asian Games, opting to skip the regional games due to conflicting schedule in both the 2017[15] and 2019 editions.[16]

Saso is one of the three Filipino golfers who competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She finished 9th in the women’s individual event.

Professional career[]

Saso turned professional in November 2019 after earning a LPGA of Japan Tour card for 2020.[17] In late June 2020, she made her debut at the Earth Mondahmin Cup in Chiba where she placed fifth.[18]

Saso earned her first victory at the 2020 NEC Karuizawa 72.[19] She then won the next event, the Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament.[20] On 6 June 2021, she won the 2021 U.S. Women's Open in a playoff against Nasa Hataoka, her first major title, becoming the first Filipino to win the tournament.[21] Saso, at age 19 years, 11 months, 17 days, matched Inbee Park (2008 U.S. Women's Open champion) as the youngest golfer to win the tournament.[22][23]

Amateur wins[]

  • 2014 Sabah International Junior Masters, Visayas Regional Amateur and ALM Tournament
  • 2015 Kartini Cup
  • 2016 Philippine Junior Amateur, Philippine Junior Amateur Match Play, World Junior Girls Championship
  • 2017 Philippine Amateur Open Championship, Philippine Junior Amateur, Philippine Amateur Open Match Play Championship
  • 2018 Philippine Ladies Open, Victorian Junior Masters, Thunderbird International Junior, Asian Games (women's individual)
  • 2019 Philippine Ladies Open, Girl's Junior PGA Championship

Source:[3]

Professional wins (3)[]

LPGA of Japan Tour wins (2)[]

LPGA Tour wins (1)[]

Legend
Major championships (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)
1 6 Jun 2021 U.S. Women's Open 69-67-71-73=280 –4 Playoff Japan Nasa Hataoka 1,000,000

LPGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 2021 U.S. Women's Open Japan Nasa Hataoka Tied two-hole aggregate playoff
Won with birdie on third playoff hole:
Hataoka: 4-4=8 (E), 4, Saso: 4-4=8 (E), 3

Major championships[]

Wins (1)[]

Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
2021 U.S. Women's Open 1 shot deficit −4 (69-67-71-73=280) Playoff1 Japan Nasa Hataoka

1 Defeated Hataoka in a two-hole aggregate playoff, followed by a sudden-death playoff: Saso (4-4-3=11) and Hataoka (4-4-4=12 )

Results timeline[]

Tournament 2019 2020 2021
ANA Inspiration T50
U.S. Women's Open CUT T13 1
Women's PGA Championship T21
Evian Championship NT
Women's British Open T39
  Win
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = no tournament
T = tied

Team appearances[]

Source:[3]

Awards[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Yuka Saso". Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Palembang. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  2. ^ "笹生　優花". Japan Golf Association. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Yuka Saso". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  4. ^ Carandang, Justin Kenneth (26 August 2018). "Yuka Saso brings gold from golf, Bianca Pagdanganan bags 10th bronze for PHL". GMA News Online. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  5. ^ Ventura, Sid (26 August 2018). "Women's golf team strikes double gold in dramatic finish". ESPN. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Saso has Bulakenya blood running in her veins". The Manila Times. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  7. ^ Wire, Coy; Morse, Ben (7 June 2021). "Yuka Saso: The 19-year-old major winner who modeled her game on Rory McIlroy's after watching him on YouTube". CNN. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  8. ^ "PSA to honor Frayna, Medina in awards rites". The Philippine Star. 5 February 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Golden golf double for PH women's team". Rappler. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  10. ^ Lozada, Bong (26 August 2018). "Asian Games: Saso, PH women's golf team deliver 2 golds, 1 bronze". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  11. ^ Terrado, Reuben (26 August 2018). "Yuka Saso, pals win two unlikely gold medals in golf to lift PH team spirits". Spin.ph. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Asian Games: Yuka Saso, Philippines women's golf team bag 2 gold medals". ABS-CBN News. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Navarro, June (16 October 2018). "PH's Youth Olympic Games campaign ends with 1 silver as golfers, archer bow out". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Youth Olympic Games: Golfer Yuka Saso falters in playoff, misses out on medal". ABS-CBN News. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  15. ^ Leyba, Olmin (3 July 2017). "PH golfer Yuka Saso to miss SEA Games". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  16. ^ Flores, Adrian (28 November 2019). "Champion golfer Yuka Saso will miss SEA Games, says coach". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  17. ^ Romine, Brentley (20 November 2019). "Signing day wrap: Top players, notable signings for Class of 2020". Golf Channel.
  18. ^ "Golf: No title, but Yuka Saso still outstanding in Japan LPGA debut". ABS-CBN News. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  19. ^ Lozada, Bong (16 August 2020). "Yuka Saso claims NEC title, wins first JLPGA". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  20. ^ "Golf: Steady Yuka Saso clinches second Japan LPGA title". ABS-CBN News. 30 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Philippines' Yuka Saso triumphs in playoff to win US Women's Open". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Reuters. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  22. ^ "Filipino-Japanese teen Yuka Saso wins U.S. Women's Open". The Japan Times. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  23. ^ "Yuka Saso birdies third playoff hole, becomes second teen to win U.S. Women's Open". ESPN. Associated Press. 6 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Golfer Yuka Saso to be hailed as Athlete of the Year". ABS-CBN News. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.

External links[]

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