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Filipino-Japanese women’s golf player Yuka Saso at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational tournament event at Midland Country Club in the US. Photo: EPA
SportGolf

Reigning US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso ‘would love to see’ LPGA Tour event in Hong Kong

  • The 20-year-old breakout star recalls Hong Kong debut in 2015, which she says was ‘something I’ll never forget’
  • Hong Kong Golf Association chief Lai welcomes ‘fantastic’ Saso back to city, though an LPGA home event ‘would be very expensive’
LPGA Tour
Andrew McNicol
Andrew McNicol
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Filipino-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso hopes Hong Kong will host a prestigious LPGA Tour event in the future.

Describing her soft spot for playing in the city, the 20-year-old Saso has emerged as one of Asia’s top female talents since gracing Fanling Golf Course in 2015.

“I played my first Queen Sirikit [Cup] in Hong Kong,” said Saso, who won her first major at the US Women’s Open in June.

“The course was excellent, and the whole experience was something I’ll never forget. I still remember the amazing food and how fun it was to explore the city.

Filipino-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso after winning the US Women’s Open Championship in San Francisco in California. Photo: AFP

“For these reasons and many others, I would love to see an LPGA Tour event there one day,” added the world No 8, who was named an AXA Asia and Africa ambassador this month.

Though it is unlikely that Saso will feature at a Hong Kong Ladies Open any time soon – she earned LPGA card status this year – Hong Kong Golf Association chief Danny Lai Yee-june would welcome any opportunity for the two-time Asian Games gold medallist to return to the city’s links.

Who is Yuka Saso? Meet the teen US Women’s Open champion

Saso won both the women’s individual and team events in Jakarta, the first Filipino golfer ever to win Asian Games gold.

“Yuka played on the Fanling new course with the Philippines team in 2015. They came second in the Queen Sirikit Cup – Korea won – and it was the same year that Tiffany Chan [Tsz-ching] played,” Lai said.

“But I remember Yuka most when she played and won at the 2018 Asian Games [in Jakarta]. She was fabulous. Fantastic.

Filipino-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso plays at the CME Group Tour Championship at the Tiburon Golf Club in Florida, US. Photo: Kyodo

“We would love to see her play in Hong Kong for sure. Apart from Fanling, we have other good courses that could host international tournaments, like Clear Water Bay.”

With the Clear Water Bay links preparing for a return to normalcy starting with the Nomura Cup next June, Lai hopes both courses will attract more international tournaments – although any talk of an LPGA iteration is perhaps a little premature.

“I would love to have the LPGA in Hong Kong for sure. Having an LPGA in Hong Kong would definitely inspire local players, but it would be very expensive and we would have to locate sponsors,” Lai said.

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Highlights of Hong Kong women's team at the 37th Queen Sirikit Cup golf tournament

Highlights of Hong Kong women's team at the 37th Queen Sirikit Cup golf tournament
As for Saso, who has finished in the top-five four times since winning the US Open, the goal is to be as consistent in her second season as a professional as role model and former world No 1 Inbee Park.

“There have been many seasons in golf where my game struggled, and I wasn’t playing as well as I’d hoped,” Saso said.

“Golf is a difficult game, and these rough patches come regularly for us all. Whenever I go through one of these seasons, I do my best to focus on the present and not look too far ahead. That helps me to stay calm and spend time working on the steps I need to take to improve. It also helps me remember to have fun.”

 
In November, Philippines-born Saso announced she would give up her dual citizenship to represent her father’s home of Japan. She explained she would be forced to “eventually choose” as Japan does not recognise dual citizenships and those eligible for two nationalities must decide by age 22.

Earlier this month, Saso won the LPGA of Japan Tour’s 2020-21 season “Bright” award. She has won two JLPGA wins – the NEC Karuizawa 72 and Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament – since earning a Tour card soon after turning pro in 2019.

Saso also played at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, finishing ninth overall in the women’s individual category.

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