Latest news with #Saigo
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LPGA's 2025 Player of the Year race is stacked with names who have never won it
World No. 1 Nelly Korda claimed the award last season when she won seven times but she is winless thus far in 2025. After a year in which Nelly Korda blew away the competition for LPGA Player of the Year honors, the pendulum has swung into a wide-open race. With no repeat winners midway through the 2025 season, Japan's Mao Saigo leads the tour with 88 points, five in front of Australia's Minjee Lee. Jeeno Thitikul, who leads the tour in top-10 finishes with seven, sits alone in third with 80 points. Saigo won the Chevron Championship in a five-way playoff and has four additional top-10 finishes. Lee won her third different career major title at the KPMG Women's PGA and has three additional top 10s. World No. 1 Korda won seven times last season but is winless thus far in 2025. She's currently 42 points behind Saigo in 12th place. No one ahead of Korda has previously won the award. Ayako Okamoto (1987) is the only Japanese player to win the LPGA's POY since its inception in 1966. Last year, Saigo became the second Japanese player to win Rookie of the Year honors. Japan's Rio Takeda currently leads the ROY race and is fourth on the POY list, 20 points behind her compatriot. Players must finish in the top 10 to earn POY points and points are doubled at majors. A victory at a regular LPGA event is worth 30 points and a runner-up is worth 12. Rolex Player of the Year candidates for 2026
Kyodo News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Golf: Mao Saigo sinks rare albatross, moves up to 2nd at LPGA Classic
KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2025 - 13:13 | Sports, All Japanese golfer Mao Saigo scored a rare albatross Saturday on her way to a 6-under-par 65 that will see her tee off the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic trailing leader Lee Il Hee of South Korea by one stroke. The 23-year-old Saigo, a major winner at April's Chevron Championship, added to her highlight reel when she holed out with her second shot from 214 yards on the par-5 3rd hole at Seaview's Bay Course. She also had five birdies and a pair of bogeys to finish the second round of the 54-hole tournament tied for second at 10 under with compatriot Ayaka Furue, as well as Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Elizabeth Szokol. "I wasn't that accurate with my irons and off the tee, but I'm happy with my score," said Saigo, who already has four top-10 finishes in her brief LPGA career. "I didn't think the albatross was going in." Furue had five birdies in a bogey-free round of 66, while Lee followed her opening 63 with a 68. Japan's Miyu Yamashita and Chisato Iwai, who secured her first LPGA win at last month's Mexico Riviera Maya Open, both shot 66 to join four others tied for sixth at 8 under. Related coverage: Golf: Takeda finishes 2nd as Stark wins U.S. Women's Open Golf: Chisato Iwai wins 1st U.S. tour title in Mexico
The Mainichi
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Golf: Furue 4th as Kupcho wins ShopRite LPGA Classic
GALLOWAY, New Jersey (Kyodo) -- Ayaka Furue led the Japanese contingent with a fourth-place finish Sunday as Jennifer Kupcho of the United States claimed victory at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Kupcho shot a 5-under 66 at the Seaview golf club's Bay Course to finish the 54-hole tournament 15 under, one stroke ahead of overnight leader Lee Il Hee of South Korea. Kim Sei Young of South Korea was third at 12 under. Furue, whose round of 70 included three birdies and two bogeys, finished at 11 under after starting the day one stroke off the lead alongside Kupcho, compatriot Mao Saigo, and American Elizabeth Szokol. Saigo and fellow Japanese golfer Miyu Yamashita were among six players who finished tied for fifth at 10 under. The 23-year-old Saigo, whose penultimate round featured a stunning albatross, shot 71, while Yamashita moved up the leaderboard with a 69.
The Mainichi
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Saigo sinks rare albatross, moves up to 2nd at LPGA Classic
GALLOWAY, New Jersey (Kyodo) -- Japanese golfer Mao Saigo scored a rare albatross Saturday on her way to a 6-under-par 65 that will see her tee off the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic trailing leader Lee Il Hee of South Korea by one stroke. The 23-year-old Saigo, a major winner at April's Chevron Championship, added to her highlight reel when she holed out with her second shot from 214 yards on the par-5 3rd hole at Seaview's Bay Course. She also had five birdies and a pair of bogeys to finish the second round of the 54-hole tournament tied for second at 10 under with compatriot Ayaka Furue, as well as Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Elizabeth Szokol. "I wasn't that accurate with my irons and off the tee, but I'm happy with my score," said Saigo, who already has four top-10 finishes in her brief LPGA career. "I didn't think the albatross was going in." Furue had five birdies in a bogey-free round of 66, while Lee followed her opening 63 with a 68. Japan's Miyu Yamashita and Chisato Iwai, who secured her first LPGA win at last month's Mexico Riviera Maya Open, both shot 66 to join four others tied for sixth at 8 under.
Kyodo News
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Golf: Mao Saigo sinks rare albatross, moves up to 2nd at LPGA Classic
KYODO NEWS - 21 minutes ago - 13:13 | Sports, All Japanese golfer Mao Saigo scored a rare albatross Saturday on her way to a 6-under-par 65 that will see her tee off the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic trailing leader Lee Il Hee of South Korea by one stroke. The 23-year-old Saigo, a major winner at April's Chevron Championship, added to her highlight reel when she holed out with her second shot from 214 yards on the par-5 3rd hole at Seaview's Bay Course. She also had five birdies and a pair of bogeys to finish the second round of the 54-hole tournament tied for second at 10 under with compatriot Ayaka Furue, as well as Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Elizabeth Szokol. "I wasn't that accurate with my irons and off the tee, but I'm happy with my score," said Saigo, who already has four top-10 finishes in her brief LPGA career. "I didn't think the albatross was going in." Furue had five birdies in a bogey-free round of 66, while Lee followed her opening 63 with a 68. Japan's Miyu Yamashita and Chisato Iwai, who secured her first LPGA win at last month's Mexico Riviera Maya Open, both shot 66 to join four others tied for sixth at 8 under. Related coverage: Golf: Takeda finishes 2nd as Stark wins U.S. Women's Open Golf: Chisato Iwai wins 1st U.S. tour title in Mexico
