Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso climbed to no. 8 of the Rolex Women’s Golf Rankings after her top 10 finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 20-year-old Saso climbed two ranks in the rankings when she finished in the top 10 in the Olympic women’s golf tournament at Kasumigaseki Country Club on Saturday, August 7, 2021.
She finished tied for 9th position with five others — bannered by South Korean stars Jin Young Ko and Sei Young Kim, and Japanese Nasa Hataoka, the runner-up to Saso in the 2021 US Women’s Open — after a massive comeback from 47th place in the first round.
In the finals round, Saso shot a six-under par 65 after an incredible resurgence that included three consecutive birdies starting on the 12th hole and an eagle on the 17th.
The 2021 US Women’s Open champion shot a 10-under par 274, seven strokes behind gold medallist Nelly Korda of the United States.
Saso, a double gold medalist at the 2018 Asian Games, only bogeyed the 4th hole, but finished her Olympic campaign with five birdies on the 5th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 18th holes.
Olympic bronze medalist Lydia Ko also climbed to ninth, from 11th in the world rankings, while Australia’s Minjee Lee dropped to 10th after finishing 29th at the Summer Games.
Nelly Korda of the United States maintained her number one ranking when she won gold in Tokyo.