Filipino-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso has taken the No. 3 spot in the latest LPGA’s money list, three months after she pocketed $1 million for ruling the US Women’s Open Championship in San Francisco, California.
The 20-year-old Saso has total earnings of $1,212,225, or approximately P60.61 million, just behind world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States of America, and No. 5 Lydia Ko of New Zealand.
Korda, the Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner, currently has total earnings of $1,941,977 through 14 events, while the former world No. 1 Ko has $1,214,954 in 15 events.
In comparison, Saso has only joined five tournaments this year, including the Women’s Open in early June when she matched the record of Korea’s Park In-bee as the youngest winner in the US championship's history at 19 years, 11 months and 17 days.
In her recent tournament, Saso finished tied for 39th in the Women’s British Open with Americans Britanny Lincicome and Megan Khang at the Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland.
After that event, she moved up to the No. 6 spot in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, a career best so far for the double gold medal winner in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
Saso took a break after the Women’s British Open, but she is expected to return to competition in the LPGA Tour this month.
Some of the events she is expected to join are the $2.3 million Walmart NW Arkansas on Sept. 24-26 in Arizona, the $1.75 million ShopRite LPGA Classic on Oct. 1-3 and the P3million Cognizant Founders Cup on Oct. 7-10 at Galloway and West Caldwell both in New Jersey.
A two-time recipient of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Athlete of the Year, Saso earned a full five-year membership on the LPGA Tour for winning the US Women’s Open title.
She is expected to compete in the US for the rest of the year after seeing action in the Japan LPGA Tour, where she started her pro career in 2020 and won three titles.