SASO Yuka

Philippines
Golf
20 Jun 2001
20
Female
Olympic ScholarshipYouth Olympian
1.67/5'5''
MANILA
 
Philippines
JAPAN

Events and Medals

Discipline Event Rank Medal
GLF Golf Women's Individual Stroke Play 9

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Kasumigaseki Country Club
Women's Individual Stroke Play Round 1
#1
Finished
Kasumigaseki Country Club
Women's Individual Stroke Play Round 2
#2
Finished
Kasumigaseki Country Club
Women's Individual Stroke Play Round 3
#3
Finished
Kasumigaseki Country Club
Women's Individual Stroke Play Round 4
#4
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:
Youth Olympic Games
RankEventYearLocationResult
4Individual Stroke Play2018Buenos Aires, ARG214
20Mixed Team2018Buenos Aires, ARG9

The ANA Inspiration
RankEventYearLocationResult
50Individual Stroke Play2021Rancho Mirage, CA, USA288

LPGA Championship
RankEventYearLocationResult
21Individual Stroke Play2021Johns Creek, GA, USA285

U.S. Women's Open
RankEventYearLocationResult
1Individual Stroke Play2021San Francisco, CA, USA280
13Individual Stroke Play2020Houston, TX, USA289
89Individual Stroke Play2019Charleston, SC, USA148

LPGA Tour overview - Three best ranks per season since 2017
YearIndividual Stroke Play
20211 x 1st, 1 x 5th, 1 x 6th
20201 x 13th, 1 x 25th, 1 x 106th
20191 x 89th

Ladies European Tour overview - Three best ranks per season since 2017
YearIndividual Stroke Play
20181 x 17th

LPGA Tour & Ladies European Tour - Ten best performances since 2017 season
RankYearEventCompetitionLocation
12021Individual Stroke PlayU.S. Women's OpenSan Francisco, CA, USA
52021Individual Stroke PlayMarathon LPGA ClassicSylvania, OH, USA
62021Individual Stroke PlayLotte ChampionshipKapolei, HI, USA
132020Individual Stroke PlayU.S. Women's OpenHouston, TX, USA
172018Individual Stroke PlayISPS Handa Vic OpenGeelong, VIC, AUS
212021Individual Stroke PlayLPGA ChampionshipJohns Creek, GA, USA
252020Individual Stroke PlayISPS Handa Women's Australian OpenSeaton, SA, AUS
502021Individual Stroke PlayThe ANA InspirationRancho Mirage, CA, USA
892019Individual Stroke PlayU.S. Women's OpenCharleston, SC, USA
1062020Individual Stroke PlayISPS Handa Vic OpenGeelong, VIC, AUS

Asian Games
RankEventYearLocationResult
1Individual Stroke Play2018Indonesia-13
1Women's Team2018Indonesia-22


Legend
DNS - Did Not Start, DSQ - Disqualified, WD - Withdrawn
:
English, Japanese, Filipino
:
Right (Facebook profile, 01 Feb 2016)
:
Turned professional in 2019
:
She began playing golf at age eight in Japan. (olympics.com, 25 Jul 2020; Athlete, 13 Aug 2018)
:
Her father introduced her to the sport. "I was born in Philippines, I grew up there. But we moved to Japan when I was four or five. 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 that I did. It was sad [initially moving to Japan], but then golf is fun." (olympics.com, 25 Jul 2020; golfweek.usatoday.com, 20 Jan 2019; Athlete, 13 Aug 2018)
:
To win a gold medal at the Olympic Games and to be ranked number one in the world. (olympics.com, 25 Jul 2020)
:
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, US golfer Tiger Woods, Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam, Japanese golfers Ryo Ishikawa and Ai Miyazato. (olympics.com, 25 Jul 2020; Athlete, 13 Aug 2018)
:
Her father. "He's been with me on the course since I was a kid. Everything he tells me helps me because he knows me well." (sports.inquirer.net, 16 Sep 2018; Athlete, 13 Aug 2018)
:
She was named 2020 Athlete of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association [PSA]. She shared the 2018 title with her national teammates Lois Kaye Go and Bianca Pagdanganan, who won gold in the team event at the Asian Games in Indonesia. (rappler.com, 07 Mar 2021, 28 Jan 2019)

General Interest

General
PLAYING IN JAPAN
In 2019 she verbally committed to represent the University of Georgia in the United States of America, but then turned down the scholarship offer after falling short of her LPGA Qualifying School bid. A year later she qualified for the LPGA of Japan Tour. "I think I wasn't at my best. At that time, I was choosing between going to college and turning pro. So in a way, that might have affected my performance. I wasn't really too sure what direction I wanted to take and it was only after that I was able to talk things out with my parents. Failing [in the US] meant I got the chance to find a lot of time with my family [in Japan]. I've always been away competing in tournaments abroad most of my teenage life, and being based in Japan now [speaking in 2020] feels like heaven because I'm with my parents and my siblings. I still need to study, I really want to study, whether that be in the [United] States or elsewhere. But I want to study outside of Japan. It might not be this year or next year. But I really want to go back to school." (golfchannel.com, 16 Apr 2021; rappler.com, 16 Apr 2021; philstar.com, 06 Mar 2021; ajc.com, 30 Mar 2021; wisconsin.golf, 25 Jul 2019)

DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Born in the Philippines to a Japanese father and Filipino mother, she moved to Japan at age four and returned to the Philippines five years later. "I grew up here and [trained] here so if I play in the Olympics, [it will be for the] Philippines." (philstar.com, 06 Mar 2021; sports.inquirer.net, 16 Sep 2018; sports.inquirer.net, 12 Jul 2017)

Legend
:
Gold Medal Event
:
Silver Medal Event
:
Bronze Medal Event
Content 1 (removed through CDN)
Content 2 (removed through CDN).
Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos