Saso begins work on 2022 golf bid

MANILA, Philippines – While her fellow LPGA Tour campaigners must be taking their much-needed break and enjoying the holidays, Yuka Saso is busy plotting her strategy for next year’s campaign, principally for her defense of the US Women’s Open crown.

The 20-year-old ace broke barriers when she became the first Filipina to win a golfing major in San Francisco last June and went on to finish her rookie season in the world’s premier women’s golfing stage with five other Top six finishes.

And she takes pride in major triumph while vowing to get better, stronger in her pursuit of more golfing honors in the coming season.

“The competition is fierce on the LPGA Tour,” said Saso. “But I would love to retain the title as the US Women’s Open champion in 2022. I am going to stay focused on my game, play my very best and hope for a great finish.”

The $5 million US Women’s Open will be played June 2-5 at the Southern Pines in North Carolina.

But expect her to likewise prepare and work hard not just for the majors but for the other tournaments as well as she braces for a tougher, more challenging campaign given the depth of the field bolstered by a talented bunch of rookies and returnees from the recent Q-Series.

“I am very proud of what I was able to accomplish in my first year on the LPGA Tour,” said the ICTSI-backed shotmaker, who crashed into the circuit as a top LPGA of Japan Tour campaigner and came out of it a major winner with five Top 6 finishes to boot.

She wound up at No. 6 both in the official money rankings and in the Rookie of the Year race, finished No. 16 in the Race to CME Globe Season and placed No. 44 in the Rolex Player of the Year derby.

With her talent, skills, passion and sense of purpose, there’s no way to go but up for the Fil-Japanese find.

“I am going to continue to work hard and hope to achieve new heights next year,” said Saso, who also ended the season at No. 8 in the world ranking after reaching as high No. 5 in the third week of October.

She will launch her 2022 campaign in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Jan. 20-23 at the Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando and is slated to play in two more tournaments completing three-leg Florida swing, the Gainbridge LPGA on January 27-30 in Boca Raton and the LPGA Drive On Championship in Southwest on February 3-5.

Of course, she’ll be armed with her tested “have fun, trust the process, and enjoy while learning” mantra.

“In golf you never know what’s going to happen, so my goal is to go out there and enjoy every moment of what I get to do for a living,” said Saso.