IT'S been more than three years since Yuka Saso shocked the women’s golf world with an unlikely win at the US Women’s Open Championship in 2021.
She beat Lexi Thompson and Nasa Hataoka in a playoff and became the toast of Philippine sports, winning the PSA’s coveted Athlete of the Year award for outstanding achievement.
After that win, many expected Yuka to blaze a trail no Filipino golfer ever even dreamed of. When she took Japanese citizenship because Japanese passports are honored nearly anywhere in the world, I am one of those who still thought of her as a Filipino.
I followed her campaigns in America, Europe, Asia. I felt that with her talent she would be winning many more tournaments. On several occasions, I woke up at dawn to see whether she had made another breakthrough.
Sadly, those early mornings just left me sleepy and wobbly that whole day. I could not understand her game. One day she would shoot the lights out, the next she would have a game hackers are more familiar with.
Many say that is golf. You love it but it finds a way to break your heart. Three years on, Yuka is still looking for her second LPGA win.
But last week, I got excited. It seemed the long wait was going to be over. In the second day of the Ford Championship in Arizona, she recorded a round she had not before: a mind-boggling career-best nine under par 63.
Finally, I said to myself, if she scored two more rounds of good golf, the long drought could be over. She shot three under 69 in the third round, not great, but a good round, putting her in a tie for fourth, just a shot behind three leaders. She was 14 under, the leaders 15 under par.
Her score could have been better, though. She had eight birdies during the round, and was tied for the lead on the 14th hole. But a bogey and a double bogey in the last three holes did not bode well.
Then came the final round. It was not the start she wanted. She had two bogeys in the first four holes. Although she managed three birdies to finish the round, this was not good enough on a good scoring day.
She eventually finished tied for 13th with seven others, five strokes behind winner Nellie Korda.
It was another blown chance for the Filipino-Japanese who was born in Manila 22 years ago. In three other starts this year, she tied for 16th (Honda LPGA Classic in Thailand), tied 17th (HSBC World Women’s Championship in Singapore), and tied 27th (Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship in California).
Therefore, it’s literally back to the first tee for Yuka.
But for the fact that she has not won a title again, there is really not much to be sad about her fate. In her four tournaments this year, she has banked US $91,778, which is over five million in Philippine pesos. And that’s for a mere 16 days of actual work.
Last year, she played in 22 events, made the cut in 17 of them, and earned US $1.8 million, or nearly 100 million pesos.
Overall, in four years, her career earnings in the LPGA add up to US $4,174,139. If she were totally Filipino, she would be the highest earning athlete in the country.
Her financial future is secure, but her legacy may be affected if she were to end up a one-shot wonder. The US Women’s Open victory has put her in rarified territory, however. It has also enshrined her as the best golfer, male or female, in the history of Philippine golf.
Globally, of course, she needs to do more. The good news is that there’s no hurry. Lest we forget, Yuka is just 22 years old.
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