YUKA Saso has a nightmare start to her LPGA Tour season after another disappointing round at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions Saturday in Florida.
Saso, 24, the former star of the Philippines and now representing Japan, shot a second round 6-over-par 78, which some may see as an improvement because she posted a 7-over 79 in the first round.
Her 13-over par total nudged her up one spot from last place in the 39-player field reserved for LPGA champions of the last two years. Saso qualified after winning her second US Women’s Open title in 2024.
READ Yuka Saso proud to be half-Filipino, half-Japanese: 'That will never change'
The off-season has apparently not improved Saso’s game during which she spent some time in the Philippines where she had hoped to recharge after a dismal 2025 season.
Last year, Saso, whose two victories in the LPGA Tour are majors (2021 and 2024 U.S. Women’s Open) played in 18 events and made just five cuts, making many people wonder where her once robust and electrifying game had relocated.
Her best finish in 2025 was a tie for 17th place while her total earnings was $80,760, which ranked her 138th overall. She’s obviously not losing sleep over this. In winning two US Opens, Saso pocketed $3.4 million. Could this be why the fire in her had been extinguished?
At the Tournament of Champions, the LPGA’s season opener, Saso’s first round 79, was the worst score in the field and her second round 78 was the second worst.
To illustrate just how bad it has been for the once formidable golfer, Saso had two double bogeys, 11 bogeys and just two birdies over 36 holes. In the first round, her card showed six bogeys in seven holes, five of them consecutive.
Thankfully, there is no cut in this event, which has a $2 million total pot.
Leading the tournament is Lydia Ko (67) and Lottie Woad (69), both tied at 8-under par 136.
RICO HOEY MAKES CUT
At the Farmers Insurance Open in Torrey Pines, San Diego, California, Rico Hoey, the country’s lone campaigner in the PGA Tour, made the cut on the number after firing a second round 2-under-par 70 at the North Course.
A gutsy birdie on the par-4 18th saved Hoey’s weekend after bogeys on the 15th and 16th dropped him one shot out of the cutline. He scored a 1-under-par 71 in the first round.
Brooks Koepka, who left LIV to rejoin the PGA Tour, was among those who made the cut on the number which also includes Jason Day.
Koepka needed at least two birdies in his last five holes to advance and managed to do it on the 14th and 16th holes to finish with a 68.
Justin Rose sizzled with a 7-under 65, a strong follow up to his 10-under-par 62 in the first round, to put up a four-shot lead with a total of 17-under-par. In the process, he broke his own 36-hole record at Farmers by two strokes.
MIGUEL TABUENA’S LIV DREAM
While a few stars had decided to abandon LIV Golf, Miguel Tabuena is chasing it as though his life depended on it. Maybe it does. There is an insane amount of money available if, by some good fortune, his number is called by organizers.
Tabuena has been named the top reserve by LIV as the rebel golf group begins finalizing its lineup prior to its opening 2026 salvo on Feb. 4.
The date coincides with the start of the Philippine President’s Cup Trophy at Wack Wack and Tabuena decided to stay in the Middle East rather than compete locally in case a sudden call from organizers materializes and he is inserted as a member of a LIV team. Being in the Middle East makes it easy for him to jump right in.
Currently, however, only Dustin Johnson’s Aces squad is incomplete with only three players on board. He is out looking for a fourth and Tabuena has a chance to get it because Johnson had seen him play when the American competed in the International Series Philippines won by Tabuena last October.
LIV’s future, meanwhile, has become a hot topic of discussion after Koepka departed and decided to return to the PGA Tour. Also leaving LIV is Patrick Reed who has not renewed his contract.
It is under this cloud that Tabuena appears to be moving heaven and earth to join LIV. He had a chance when he placed third in the International Series Rankings where the top two earned LIV spots.
Then he competed in the LIV Promotions tournament, but failed to get headway there.
Some observers say LIV Golf may eventually fold up because of recent departures by some of its stars. But while it’s there, why not jump in, like many others, and get a share of the money being thrown away by the Saudis?
As they say, better late than never.
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