Yuka Saso

Introduced to golf by her father at the age of 8 in 2009. Became more interested in the game by "watching legends." Outside of golf, she enjoys table tennis and basketball. Born in the Philippines and moved to Japan when she was four years old. After falling in love with golf at the age of eight, she moved back to the Philippines to take advantage of better golf weather and lives with her uncle (her father goes back and forth between Japan and the Philippines, and her mother lives in Japan with Yuka's four younger siblings). Yuka has said how sad it was to make that move at first, but then golf is fun. Her goal in life is "to be successful."
Has six top-four finishes in her last seven worldwide starts, including a 4th place finish in the Annika Invitational USA, a win in the Philippines Ladies Open for a second consecutive year, and a runner-up in the Country Club Ladies Invitational in the Philippines in 2019. Recently, she said in an interview, "I'm not so sure if I am playing my best golf at the moment, but I'm happy with the way I'm playing right now. I still need to work on many things, but what matters to me is I'm having fun".
Won gold medals as both an individual and a member of the Philippines team in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. She said that her winning eagle on the last hole was partly a matter of positive thinking. I really wanted an eagle on the last hole. I knew that if I made an eagle, I could win." Finished T-2nd at the end of regulation in Argentina's 2018 Youth Olympic Games but could not secure a medal in the playoff. In 2016, she earned both individual and team gold medals for the Philippines in the World Junior Girls Championship. Other notable accomplishments include finishing runner-up to fellow invitee Atthaya Thitikul in a playoff in the 2018 Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific and reaching the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur semifinals at the age of 15.
Notable Victories (9): 2018 and 2019 Philippines Ladies Open, 2018 Asian Games (Philippines team and individual), 2018 Thunderbird International Junior (AJGA), 2018 Victorian Junior Masters, 2018 ICTSI Ayala Greenfield Ladies Challenge, 2017 Philippine Amateur, 2016 World Junior Girls Championship (Philippines team and individual), 2016 ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Invitational.
Notable Finishes in Professional Events: Won the 2018 ICTSI Ayala Greenfield Ladies Challenge (Ladies Philippine Golf Tour) (Low Amateur), Won the 2016 ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Invitational (Ladies Philippine Golf Tour) (Low Amateur), runner-up at the 2017 ICTSI Champion Tour at Mount Malarayat (Taiwan LPGA/LPGT) (Low Amateur), 5th at the 2014 ICTSI Sherwood Ladies Championship (LGPT), T-6th 2017 ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters (TLPGA/LGPT/China LPGA), T-7th 2017 ICTSI Champion Tour at Splendido Taal (Taiwan LPGA/LPGT) (Low Amateur), T-8th 2016 ICTSI Philippines Ladies Masters (Taiwan LPGA/LPGT) (Low Amateur).
In the 2019 Augusta National Women's Amateur, I finished T-3rd, 8 shots back of the winner, Jennifer Kupcho. Also, in 2019, she won the Girls' Junior PGA Championship, lost in the semifinals of the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, and lost in the first round of match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur. She committed to attending and playing for Georgia but turned down the scholarship to turn pro at the end of 2019. In the fall, she turned pro and earned her tour card on the Japan LPGA.
2020 Notes: Playing on the Japan LPGA, she started very strongly. In her first event of the season was T-5th at the Earth Mondahmin Cup. She then won in her second start at the NEC Karuizawa 72 Golf Tournament. She did it again in her next start, won the Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament. Later in the year, she was 2nd in the Toto Japan Classic. She ended the year leading the money list with yen93,891,170 ($849,302), but because of COVID-19, the tour combined 2000 with 2001. At the end of 2020 finished T-13th at the U.S. Women's Open.
2021 Notes: She played in seven Japan LPGA tour events as she started her move to playing in America. In those seven events, her best finish was 2nd at the Toto Japan Classic, where she was three shots back of the winner Jiyai Shin. She played in 13 LPGA Tour events, making 13 cuts and seven top-ten finishes. She was 16th on the CME Points list and 6th on the money list with earnings of $1,517,876. Her LPGA season began with a T-50th at the ANA Inspiration and then a T-6th at the LOTTE Championship. Her next start was the U.S. Women's Open, and she won it in a playoff with Nasa Hataoka. Lexi Thompson had a five-shot lead in the final round after 8 holes. But Thompson shot 41 and found herself a shot back of Saso and Hataoka. The two went into a two-hole aggregate playoff, and Saso won it on the third hole with a 10-foot birdie. With the win, Saso took up an LPGA Tour membership. At the Marathon Classic, she was T-5th and was 5th again at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational with partner Minjee Lee. As a Philippine women's golf team member, Saso was T-9th at the Tokyo Olympics. She shot 65-65 over the weekend to finish T-4th at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, two back of winner Nasa Hataoka. She was T-4th at the Cognizant Founders Cup. Ended her season with a 48th-place finish at the CME Group Tour Championship. In November, she decided to give up her Philippine citizenship to take up Japanese citizenship since Japan bans dual citizenship for Japanese nationals once they turn 22.
2022 Notes: Played in 26 LPGA Tour events, making 19 cuts with four top-ten finishes. She was 28th on the CME Points list and 36th on the money list with $773,294 in earnings. Started her season with a 6th place finish at the Hilton Tournament of Champions. The next week shot 67 in the final round to finish 3rd at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. She was two shots back of the winner, Lydia Ko. Shot a final round 66 at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship to finish 2nd, a shot back of the winner Jodi Ewart Shadoff. Her next start was T-8th at the BMW Ladies Championship. She ended her season with a T-59th finish at the CME Group Tour Championship.
2023 Notes: Played in 22 LPGA Tour events, making 17 cuts with eight top-ten finishes. She was 17th on the CME Points list and 9th on the money list with $1,822,486 in earnings. She was T-6th at the Hilton Tournament of Champions, 6th at the HSBC Women's Champions, and T-7th at the Mizuho Americas Open. Shot a final round 66 to finish 2nd at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, one shot back of the winner, Ruoning Yin. She was a member of Japan's team at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown and was 0-2-1 in the matches. Was T-3rd at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational with partner Celine Boutier. She was T-3rd at the Amundi Evian Championship, seven shots back of the winner Celine Bouteir. Next week was T-3rd again at the Amundi Evian Championship, seven shots back of the winner, Celine Boutier. Was T-5th at the Kroger Queen City Championship and T-8th at the CPKC Women's Open.
2024 Notes: Played in 22 LPGA Tour events, making 15 cuts with three top-ten finishes. She was 35th on the CME Points list and 39th on the money list with $928,966 in earnings. Open the year on the LET, finishing T-7th at the Aramco Saudi Ladies. She was T-9th at the T-Mobile Match Play, not making it to match play. Won her second U.S. Women's Open in four years, shooting a final-round 68 to come from three shots back after 54 holes to win by three shots over Hinako Shibuno. She played at the Paris Olympics as a member of Japan's women's golf team, finishing 54th. Was 4th at the Kroger Queen City Championship, seven back of the winner Lydia Ko. She ended her season finishing T-49th at the CME Group Tour Championship.
2025 Notes: Best finish T-17th at the Honda LPGA Thailand.