Mao Saigo
{{short description|Japanese professional golfer}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox golfer
| name = Mao Saigo
{{nihongo2|西郷 真央}}
| image =
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|10|8|df=y}}
| birth_place = Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
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| height = 159 cm
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| nationality = {{JPN}}
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| college = Nihon Wellness Sports University{{cite web |title=Mai Saigo |url=https://www.shimadzu.com/saigomao/ |publisher=Shimadzu |access-date=30 April 2022}}
| yearpro = 2019
| tour = LPGA of Japan Tour (joined 2020)
LPGA Tour
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| prowins = 7
| lpgawins = 1
| letwins =
| jlpgawins = 6
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| majorwins = 1
| anainspiration = Won: 2025
| lpga = T7: 2024
| wusopen = T4: 2025
| wbritopen = T7: 2024
| evian = T3: 2022
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| award1 = LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year
| year1 = 2024
| award2 =
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}}
{{nihongo|Mao Saigo|西郷 真央|Saigo Mao}} (born 8 October 2001) is a Japanese professional golfer. She plays on the LPGA of Japan Tour where she won three of the first five tournaments of the 2022 season,{{cite web |title=Member Guide: Mao Saigo |url=https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/members/info/1004289 |publisher=LPGA of Japan |access-date=30 April 2022}} and the LPGA Tour.
Career
Saigo was born in Funabashi in Greater Tokyo and won the Japan Women's Amateur Championship in 2019.{{cite web |title=Golfer Mao Saigo Off to a Great Start in the JLPGA Tour Season |date=3 April 2022 |url=https://japan-forward.com/japan-sports-notebook-golfer-mao-saigo-off-to-a-great-start-in-the-jlpga-tour-season/ |publisher=Japan Forward |access-date=30 April 2022}}{{cite web |title=Mao Saigo Player Profile |url=https://www.wagr.com/playerprofile/mao-saigo-32004 |publisher=World Amateur Golf Ranking |access-date=30 April 2022}}
She turned professional and joined the LPGA of Japan Tour in 2020. In 2021, she was runner-up seven times to finish 4th on the 2020–21 money list.
In the 2022 season, she recorded three wins and two second place finishes in the first six tournaments, after which she rose to 18th in the Women's World Golf Rankings.{{cite web |title=Mao Saigo Player Profile |url=https://www.rolexrankings.com/players/6560 |publisher=Women's World Golf Rankings |access-date=30 April 2022}}
Saigo finished second at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in 2023 to earn her LPGA Tour card for 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.lpga.com/athletes/mao-saigo/101918/bio |title=Mao Saigo – Bio |publisher=LPGA}} In 2024, she had seven top-10 finishes including runner-up finishes at the CPKC Women's Open and Buick LPGA Shanghai. She earned LPGA Rookie of the Year honors. In 2025, she won the Chevron Championship for her first LPGA Tour win and first major championship win.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/story?id=44891198&_slug_=mao-saigo-wins-lpga-major-chevron-championship-playoff |title=Mao Saigo wins LPGA major Chevron Championship in playoff |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=27 April 2025}}
Amateur wins
- 2019 Japan Women's Amateur Championship
Professional wins (7)
=LPGA Tour wins (1)=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! Legend |
| style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| Major championships (1) |
| Other LPGA Tour (0) |
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No. !Date !Tournament !Winning score !To par !Margin of !Runners-up |
| style="background:#e5d1cb;"
|align=center|1 |align=right|27 Apr 2025 |align=right|70-68-69-74=281 |align=center|−7 |Playoff |{{flagicon|USA}} Lindy Duncan |
LPGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponents!!Result |
| style="background:#D0F0C0;"
|align=center|1 |align=center|2025 |{{flagicon|USA}} Lindy Duncan |Won with birdie on first extra hole |
=LPGA of Japan Tour wins (6)=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No. !Date !Tournament !Winning score !To par !Margin of !Runner-up |
| align=center|1
|align=right|6 Mar 2022 |Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament |align=right|69-73-69-67=278 |align=center|−10 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|KOR}} Hwang Ah-reum |
| align=center|2
|align=right|27 Mar 2022 |AXA Ladies Golf Tournament in Miyazaki |align=right|67-68=135^ |align=center|−9 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|JPN}} Miyū Yamashita |
| align=center|3
|align=right|3 Apr 2022 |align=right|67-69-68-76=280 |align=center|−8 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|JPN}} Kotone Hori |
| align=center|4
|align=right|1 May 2022 |Panasonic Open Ladies Golf Tournament |align=right|70-68-68=208 |align=center|−10 |2 stroke |{{flagicon|TWN}} Teresa Lu |
| align=center|5
|align=right|22 May 2022 |align=right|67-70-69-69=275 |align=center|−13 |2 stroke |{{flagicon|JPN}} Mone Inami |
| align=center|6
|align=right|12 Nov 2023 |Ito En Ladies Golf Tournament |align=right|69-63-68=200 |align=center|−16 |3 stroke |{{flagicon|JPN}} Ayako Kimura |
^Tournament shortened due to adverse conditions.
Major championships
=Wins (1)=
| class="wikitable"
!Year!!Championship!!54 holes!!Winning score!!Margin!!Runners-up | |||||
| style="background:#D0F0C0;"
|2025 | Chevron Championship | Co-leader | −7 (70-68-69-74=281) | Playoff1 | {{flagicon|USA}} Lindy Duncan, {{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Hyo-joo, {{flagicon|CHN}} Ruoning Yin, {{flagicon|THA}} Ariya Jutanugarn |
1 Defeated Duncan, Kim, Yin and Jutanugarn with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.
=Results timeline=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
! Tournament !! 2022 !!2023 !! 2024 !! 2025 |
| align=left|Chevron Championship
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |65 |CUT |style="background:lime;"| 1 |
| align=left|U.S. Women's Open
|T44 |T33 |CUT |style="background:yellow;"|T4 |
| align=left|Women's PGA Championship
|T30 |CUT |style="background:yellow;"|T7 |CUT |
| align=left|The Evian Championship
|style="background:yellow;"|T3 |CUT |T35 | |
| align=left|Women's British Open
|CUT |T36 |style="background:yellow;"|T7 | |
{{legend|lime|Win}}
{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}
{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}
CUT = missed the half-way cut
T = tied
=Summary=
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Tournament !! Wins !! 2nd !! 3rd !! Top-5 !! Top-10 !! Top-25 !! Events !! Cuts made | ||||||||
| align=left|Chevron Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| align=left|U.S. Women's Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| align=left|Women's PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| align=left|The Evian Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| align=left|Women's British Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 11 |
|---|
- Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (2024 Women's PGA – 2025 U.S. Women's Open)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (2024 Women's British – 2025 U.S. Women's Open)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{LPGA player|mao-saigo/101918}}
- {{JLPGA player|1004289}}
- {{WWGR|6560}}
- {{Instagram|maomao_golf}}
{{Dinah Shore/Nabisco/ANA Inspiration/Chevron Champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saigo, Mao}}
Category:Japanese female golfers
Category:LPGA of Japan Tour golfers
Category:Winners of LPGA major golf championships
Category:Sportspeople from Funabashi