Mao Saigo etched history on Sunday by winning the Chevron Championship after overcoming a thrilling five-player playoff to become the fifth Japanese woman to win an overseas major tournament. Saigo, a 23 years old star of the U.S. LPGA Tour began the final round at top but encountered fierce challenges, losing ground in the middle. Behind late, she birdied the last hole to tie for a playoff at 7 under par.
Saigo’s playoff at the par-5 18th was just a meter away with her approach. While her opponents Ariya Jutanugarn, Kim Hyo-joo, Yin Ruoning and Lindy Duncan all missed key birdie opportunities, Saigo rolled in her putt with calm, securing a historic win. It was her first LPGA title, appropriately a major, just a year after being crowned Rookie of the Year.
Saigo, who trained under Japanese legend Jumbo Ozaki, battled tears as she explained how her whole body was shaking at the winning putt. Her toughness echoed her experience, having finished just short of victories last season after multiple top-10 finishes. She celebrated her victory with the customary Chevron pond dive, a happy release after years of toil.
The victory puts her alongside Japanese golf greats Hisako Higuchi (1977), Hinako Shibuno (2019), Yuka Saso (2021, 2023) and Ayaka Furue (2024). Another Japanese star, Ayaka Furue warmly congratulated Saigo on Instagram, wishing Japanese women’s golf a new chapter.
Coach Jumbo Ozaki complimented that Saigo was always warming up only a matter of time. Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association felt similarly, declaring the win a special victory through hard work.
Saigo’s victory capped Japan’s dominance of all five foreign women’s majors, setting a new golden age for Japanese golf supremacy overseas.
