MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso feels not much has changed since she last donned the Philippines’ colors except the fact that on paper, she now represents Japan.

Saso earned the distinction as the first golfer to rule the US Women’s Open with two different countries as she topped the event for Japan three years after she won it for the Philippines.

“I’ve always been half-Japanese, half-Filipino,” Saso said during a media availability on Friday, June 7. “If I could put two flags beside my name, I would… But I think the whole world already knows that I’m half-Filipino, half-Japanese.”

“Even when I was representing the Philippines, I always thought that I’m always half-Japanese as well. And even now that I’m representing Japan, I’ve always thought that I’m half-Filipino. That will never change.”

“I love growing up in the Philippines and I always go back there.”

Saso, 22 captured her first major championship when she reigned in the US Women’s Open in 2021, becoming the first Filipino to win the tournament.

In the same year, Saso also competed in the Tokyo Olympics as a part of Team Philippines, finishing tied for ninth in the women’s individual play.

Her days representing the Philippines, though, were apparently numbered by then as Saso – whose father Masakazu is Japanese and mother Fritzie is Filipina – needed to choose between her two citizenships.

Under the Japanese law, dual citizens have to select their nationality at the age of 22.

Saso eventually picked Japan primarily due to its stronger passport, which allowed her to compete all over the world without the need to acquire visas, on top of other perks.

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But for Saso, who was born in Bulacan, she is just the same as before.

“I think nothing has really changed. It is just that the outside, like paperworks or whatever it is, it is just that on those sides,” she said.

Her switch came with a lot of challenges as Saso endured three years without a single win in the LPGA Tour since her maiden US Women’s Open title run.

Saso came close to nailing another major last year when she finished second in the Women’s PGA Championship and tied for third in the Evian Championship.

That drought, however, finally came to an end as Saso became just the third Japanese to win a women’s golf major after Hisako Higuchi (1977 LPGA Championship) and Hinako Shibuno (2019 Women’s British Open).

Incidentally, it was Shibuno whom Saso edged for her second US Women’s Open crown.

“Not winning is tough, but all the other stuff covers it. Winning is not everything. This is my life and this is my job, whatever happens, I have to enjoy it. But winning… felt really good,” said Saso.

“It is one of the biggest tournaments of the year and it was my dream tournament to win since I was young. To do it twice, it felt sweeter.”

Thanks to her US Women’s Open triumph, Saso climbed 24 spots to world No. 6, putting herself in prime position to clinch a spot in the Paris Olympics as the highest-ranked Japanese player. – Rappler.com