Saso targets world No. 1, Olympic gold

MANILA, Philippines — There’s still a long way to go but young Yuka Saso is setting her lofty goals this early – become world No. 1 and win the Olympic gold.

Though she fell short in her first crack at an LPGA Tour card, she made the grade in the LPGA Tour of Japan and currently leads the chase for two Philippine spots for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

“I want to bring joy to Filipinos by becoming their first-ever world No. 1 golfer and to finish on top of the Olympic podium,” said Saso.

No less than the Olympic movement took notice of Saso’s enormous potential as it ran a full-length feature article on the 19-year-old Fil-Japanese, who rose to golf fame after sweeping the individual and team gold medals in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

Saso, who also impressed former world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park in an official duel at home last year, talked about her big dreams, the impact of her record Asiad feat and her biggest influencer aside from her dad Masakazu, and touched on her mutual admiration, albeit unofficial, with volley phenom Alyssa Valdez, on the Olympic Channel website Sunday.

“Golf was all I had,” said the Youth Olympic Games veteran in an interview with Ken Browne.

Born in the Philippines, Saso and family moved to Japan when she was four with Masakazu, himself a skilled golfer, exposing her to the sport that produced the likes of two-time LPGA Tour winner and five-time Philippine Ladies Open champion Jennifer Rosales.

“I couldn’t speak Japanese and I didn’t have any friends so my dad brought me to the driving range, to the golf course, that’s the only thing I did,” she said.

She watched countless golf videos and worked hard on her swing, notably aware of what she had wanted at a young age.

“When I was 9, I said to my dad, I want to be a professional golfer like Rory (McIlroy),” said the 2019 Girls Junior PGA Championship titlist.

They returned to the country that same year and Saso would home-school, play golf from dawn to dusk daily and diligently work toward her dream.

Though she missed the final cut in LPGA’s Q-Series last year, she earned an LPGA Tour of Japan card and joined the big ranks. After playing two LPGA events in Australia as an invitee early in the season, she got stuck in Japan by the pandemic but relished every minute of her stay with her family in Tokyo.

“When I started playing golf, I didn’t really have a lot of time to spend with my family. Right now, it feels special because I’ve almost stayed with them a half-year now so it’s really relaxing. It feels like home,” said the power-hitter, who moved up from No. 50 to No. 47 in the Reallocation Reserve list for next year’s Olympics following her strong joint fifth place finish in her Japan pro debut last month.

Dottie Ardina remains at No. 51.

The long break also gave her more time to watch, study and learn from idol McIlroy’s brand of game.

“I watch Rory almost every day on YouTube. I watch him maybe an hour or so, and then I watch a movie and sleep,” said Saso. “I like his swing, how he hits the ball and how he plays, how he manages the golf course and his attitude on the course.”

Saso’s power and character, outside of her talent and skills, also impressed Park the most when they slugged it out shot-for-shot and putt-for-putt up to the final two holes in the 2019 The Country Club Invitational.

“She’s good, she swings well and hits it with power,” said Park, who needed to pounce on Saso’s double-bogey on No. 17 to escape with the win. “She also has a good balance and I was amazed when I learned that she’s only 17.”

That riveting duel came barely months after putting the country back on the Asian Games golf stage in unlikely fashion, closing out with an eagle to spike her rally from three down with one hole left while powering the country to the team championship.

“It was so big,” she said, referring to the Filipinos’ response to her improbable feat the morning after. “I wasn’t expecting it to be that big news in the Philippines. It was hard for me to let it to sink in and it took me maybe a week.”

That same feeling came up again when she learned that Valdez, whose phenomenal rise to volley fame also earned her a spot on the Olympic Channel website last month, had said she wanted golf lessons with her.

“When I saw that (report), I was like – wow. I haven’t met her ever but I wish to meet her and see her play volleyball. Maybe she can also teach me how to smash too. I feel shy to message her first but I heard she’s a really good person,” said Saso.

While it would take some time before she gains a shot at world No. 1, Saso is focusing on her Olympic dream, which could come next year in her second home, if and when the Quadrennial Games is finally staged after being held back by the pandemic.