US Women’s Open 2024 golf: Japan’s Saso Yuka captures second title

Saso Yuka of Japan won golf‘s US Women’s Open on Sunday (2 June), holding off compatriot Shibuno Hinako by three strokes for her second career title.

Saso is the youngest two-time Open champion at 22 years, 347 days. The Tokyo 2020 Olympian is only the fourth Japanese woman in history to win a major, and the first to do it more than once.

“I just tried to be very patient out there because I think that’s what you need to do to win a major like this,” said Saso, who won the tournament three years ago for her first victory on the LPGA Tour.

“My family, I wouldn’t be here without their support.”

Saso started the final day at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania three shots off the pace in fifth place. Despite a double bogey on the sixth, resilience saw her through the back nine when she knocked down four birdies to card a 68 for the round and a 4-under 276 total.

Saso took home $2.4 million (USD) from a purse of $12 milion, the largest in women’s golf. Born to a Japanese father and Filipina mother, she represented the Philippines at the Olympic Games three years ago.

This summer at Paris 2024, Saso hopes to don the shirt of her father’s country. The two highest-ranked female golfers from a National Olympic Committee will have that honour.

Sunday’s victory is expected to vault Saso to the top of the list for Japanese with two tournaments left before the final rankings are published on 25 June.

“It feels great. Winning in 2021, representing the Philippines, I was able to give back to my mom,” Saso said. “This year, I was able to represent Japan and I was able to give back to my dad so that I’m very happy I was able to do it.

“It’s a wonderful feeling that I was able to give back to my parents in a same way.”