DEFENDING US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso will still carry the colors of the country when she sees action in her first LPGA tournament this year, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, from Jan. 20 to 23 at the Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Nona, Florida.
The Bulacan-born Saso, who announced last November that she would opt for Japanese citizenship under Japanese laws before she turns 22, is among the elite golfers competing in the 72-hole event at the par-71, 6,645-yard course that offers a total pot of $1.5 million (around P76.7 million).
She will be up against the likes of South Korean Inbee Park, a three-time US Women’s titlist; Thai Ariya Jutanugarn, who both won the US Women’s Open and British Women’s Open crowns in 2018; American Tokyo Olympic Games gold medalist Nelly Korda and her elder sister Jessica, the defending champion.
Also in the banner field is popular New Zealander Lydia Ko, a two-time major winner, who won the Evian Championship and Ana Inspiration crowns in in 2015 and 2106, respectively.
Nelly Korda, Ko, and Park are ranked Nos. 1, 3 and 4, respectively, in the Rolex Women’s world ratings while Saso, a 2018 Asian Games double gold medalist, is at No. 8.
She will use a new set of clubs in the tournament after signing a multi-year contract with Callaway last week during the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii.
“I’m so happy to join Callaway and to work with their outstanding Tour team as I start the next phase of my career with their equipment,” Saso said in statement.
“From their drivers to their golf balls, the performance really stands out to me in testing and out on the course. I feel confident that this is the best setup for my game, and I’m looking forward to a great year,” the Tokyo Olympic Games veteran added.
