Saigo Makes History with Chevron Championship Win

Saigo Makes History with Chevron Championship Win

Prior to her birdie putt on the opening hole of Sunday's five-way playoff in the Chevron Championship, Mao Saigo was trembling with anxiety.


The Japanese golfer, 23, won her first major championship after gathering herself in time to sink the 3-footer.


With a 2-under 74 after birdieing the par-5 18th hole in regulation, Saigo is now tied with Lindy Duncan, Ruoning Yin, Hyo Joo Kim, and Ariya Jutanugarn. Their final score at The Club at Carlton Woods was 7-under 281.


Following lip-out birdie attempts by Yin and Jutanugarn, Saigo emerged victorious on the 18th day of the playoffs. After just missing her third shot in regulation, Jutanugarn bogeyed the 18th.


Once Jutanugarn made two birdies and an eagle on the front nine, she led for the majority of the last round before her late blunder.


Yin reached the green in two strokes, securing the best position in the playoffs. However, she missed a 12-foot eagle putt, and her subsequent birdie attempt lipped out, allowing Saigo to claim victory.


It was Saigo's first LPGA Tour victory. She won rookie of the year on the circuit the previous season. She is the sixth major champion and the event's first Japanese victor. She has won five of her six games on the Japanese circuit in 2022.


The triumph follows second-place results in the Buick LPGA Shanghai and CPKC Women's Open the previous year.


In her over ten-year search for her first title, 34-year-old Duncan lost after bogeying the playoff hole. Overall, though, she was pleased with her performance.


After American Lilia Vu won in 2023 by birdieing the first extra hole, the event finished in a playoff for the second time in three years.


Out of the $8 million prize, Saigo received $1.2 million.


Saigo became the third person in Texas to jump into the brown-tinged water at Poppie's Pond on the 18th hole at Mission Hills, where winners had been doing so since 1988. She grinned and let out a yell as she and two of her teammates entered hand in hand.


As Saigo admitted that she isn't a very excellent swimmer, the experience turned out to be quite frightening.


Saigo started the day at 9 under, along with Haeran Ryu. But on Sunday, she bogeyed five holes to fall behind, and then she made a birdie on the 18th hole to secure a playoff berth, setting up the exciting conclusion.


Highest-ranked Nelly Korda tied for 14th place at 2 under with a score of 70. She hasn't won this season, although she tied the record with her fifth consecutive victory last year.

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