FIL-JAPANESE Yuka Saso aims to sustain her Olympic qualifying campaign when she sees action in the Hoken no Madoguchi Ladies golf tournament starting today at the Fukuoka Country Club White Course in Fukuoka Japan.
In her comeback on the Japanese LPGA tour after more than a month out of the country, Saso finished in a six-way tie for 18th in the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup last week.
She has remained steady at No. 22 in the International Golf Federation Olympic ratings for the past months while moving one spot up to No. 40 in the latest Rolex World women’s rankings released last Monday.
If she maintains or improves her present course, the 2018 Asian Games double gold medalist and Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Year for 2020 will boost her chance to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in July.
The top 60 finishers in the Olympic qualifying ratings at the cutoff date will be eligible to play in the Tokyo women’s golf championship scheduled Aug. 4 to 7 at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in the city of Saitama.
Saso is grouped in the 10:20 a.m. flight (9:20 a.m. Manila time) with Japanese tour stalwarts Ayaka Furue and Erika Hara, who are ranked No. 3 and No. 6, respectively, in the Mercedes golf rankings led by Sakura Koiwai.
A total pot of 120 million yen (roughly P52.7 million) is at stake in the 54-hole tournament, with the champion taking home 21.6 million yen (P9.5 million).
