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Newsweek
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Mao Saigo Wins Epic 5-Woman Playoff at Chevron Championship
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The 2025 Chevron Championship carved its name into LPGA history. Although this time, not just through the impressive scores, but with its largest playoff in LPGA major history. It unfolded as the top 5 leading golfers - Ruoning Yin, Hyo Joo Kim, Lindy Duncan, Ariya Jutanugarn, and Mao Saigo tied in the final round, finishing 72 holes at 7-under par on Sunday. But the ultimate leap in Poppie's Pond was taken by the 23-year-old Japanese player Mao Saigo, who won the five-way playoff, sinking a 3-foot birdie putt in the first hole. This was her first LPGA Major win following her runner-up finishes at the CPKC Women's Open and Buick LPGA Shanghai last year. "Last year it was a very intense competition," Saigo recalled. "I was so close but I was not able to make it. It was very disappointing. This year I was able to win and earn the LPGA title, and I'm extremely excited about this," Saigo admitted as she raised the trophy, defeating past champion Nelly Korda. RANCHO MIRAGE, CA - APRIL 03: Lydia Ko of New Zealand holds the trophy after the final round of the 2016 ANA Inspiration at the Mission Hills Country Club on April 3, 2016 in Rancho... RANCHO MIRAGE, CA - APRIL 03: Lydia Ko of New Zealand holds the trophy after the final round of the 2016 ANA Inspiration at the Mission Hills Country Club on April 3, 2016 in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photo by) More Getty Images Interestingly, things might have turned out differently Jutanugarn's tragic 72nd hole hadn't ended the way it did. The emotion was also echoed by the Thai professional, as she expressed: "And still, I still think I had a good chance out there," as she finished tied for second place. Whereas the 11-year LPGA veteran, Lindy Duncan, who is still awaiting her first LPGA title, shared the moment that will be glued in her memories. "I have so many great memories for this day and I will remember the putt I made [to make the playoff] forever," Duncan said. It wouldn't be wrong to say that it was indeed one of the best moments, as Lindy Duncan had a long eagle putt from off the green on the par-5 18th hole, with which she could have won the tournament, but the putt came up short. But the 34-year-old made a 12-foot long birdie putt to step into the playoff battle. What a moment! Lindy Duncan putts her way into the five-way playoff! — LPGA (@LPGA) April 27, 2025 "That was the loudest I've ever heard on a golf course. The cheering was incredible. To make a putt like that to get into the playoff, I'll remember forever." "Just walking the fairways people were chanting, go Lindy, and it was really, really fun," the LPGA veteran expressed during the post-tournament conference. Meanwhile, Hyo Joo Kim's remarkable performance earned her a spot in the playoff, but ultimately ended in a runner-up finish. "I think I really did well today, and I did, but because we had a playoff, there's some disappointment," Kim said. "But in the current condition I'm in, I really did my best and I think I played well." More Golf: PGA Tour Pro Goes Shirtless, Farmer's Tan Turns Heads at Zurich Classic
Straits Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Mao Saigo emerges from five-woman play-off to win Chevron Championship
Mao Saigo of Japan posing with the trophy after winning The Chevron Championship 2025 in a play-off at The Club at Carlton Woods on April 27 at The Woodlands, Texas. PHOTO: AFP HOUSTON – Mao Saigo of Japan rolled in a five-foot birdie putt to win a historic and chaotic five-woman play-off at the Chevron Championship, capturing her first Major title on April 27 at The Woodlands, Texas. Saigo, who began the day tied for the lead with South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran, carded a two-over 74 at The Club at Carlton Woods, needing birdie at the par-5 18th to advance to the playoff. Saigo, Yin Ruoning of China, Kim Hyo-joo of South Korea, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and Lindy Duncan all finished regulation at seven-under 281. It marked the largest play-off group at an LPGA Major in history. Ariya led for most of the day and needed par at the last hole to win outright. However, in a bizarre sequence on her third stroke, she missed nearly her entire ball, which moved very slightly forward. She wound up with a bogey, opening the door for the play-off. The five players returned to the 18th tee. Yin was the only player to hit the green in two shots, but she badly misread the mid-range eagle putt and also lipped out her birdie try. While Duncan ended up with a bogey, Kim and Ariya also missed their birdies. That left Saigo, who went over the green on her second shot and pitched it to about five feet for the winning birdie. 'I was so laser focused and nervous and really in the zone,' Saigo said. 'All I could think of is the ball in front of me. I couldn't see anything else. I was shaking from nervousness, but I did my best to calm down and I shot and it went in.' Saigo, 23, had not won on American soil before April 27. Ranked 37th in the world, her six career victories all came on the LPGA of Japan Tour. 'It was my dream to earn this Major,' Saigo said through a translator. 'It is my first time to win this tournament... and I was able to realise my dream and I'm very happy about this.' Ariya, a two-time Major champion, started the day three off the pace but birdied the second, eagled the par-five fourth and birdied the par-five eighth to shoot up to 10 under. Bogeys at Nos. 9 and 13 pulled her down, but she maintained the lead. Duncan briefly tied her at eight under with birdies at Nos. 13-14 but bogeyed the following two holes. With water protecting the green at No. 18, Ariya hit her second shot over the green and hit it off the base of a grandstand. She was not granted relief because she was not close enough to the structure. That is when she completely missed her ball on her third shot, incurring a stroke. Ariya got the ball on the green in four and missed her par putt, dropping to seven under. At the same time, Yin birdied the 18th to tie Ariya and Kim (in the clubhouse with a 70) for the lead. Later, Ariya said she went to the chipping green while waiting for the play-off. 'At the driving range and chipping green I just can get the feel for the chipping, and didn't really think of the result or anything, just trying to get the feel and work on what I worked on,' she said. 'And still, I still think I had a good chance out there, so just do my best.' In the final group, Saigo and Duncan birdied No. 18 to join the play-off. Duncan was the only player who did not aim for the grandstand. She blew an eagle putt from off the green 10 feet past the hole, but she made the comebacker for birdie. The 34-year-old Duncan was also looking for her first victory – at a Major or otherwise. Saigo was asked what she has in her sights next. 'I still have four more Majors to go, and I want to shoot for No. 1 in the world,' she said. 'I will do my best in the remaining four Majors.' Meanwhile, on the men's side, Americans Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin won their first PGA Tour titles on April 27 by teaming up to capture the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs event. They combined to fire a one-under 71 in the April 27 alternate-shot final round to finish on 28-under 260 at TPC Louisiana and defeat Danish twins Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard (68) by one stroke. REUTERS, AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Sun
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Mao Saigo wins maiden Major and first LPGA title
JAPAN'S Mao Saigo claimed her maiden LPGA Tour title and first Major victory at The Chevron Championship on Sunday, winning a dramatic five-player sudden-death playoff at The Club at Carlton Woods. The largest playoff in LPGA Major championship history only lasted one hole, and it was 2024 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Saigo who prevailed with a birdie. The 23-year-old became the fourth Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2025 season, joining compatriot Rio Takeda (Blue Bay LPGA), American Yealimi Noh (Founders Cup presented by US Virgin Islands) and Sweden's Ingrid Lindblad (JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro). Saigo was tied for the lead with Korean Haeran Ryu on nine-under-par heading into the final 18 holes at Carlton Woods' Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. As Ryu fell off the pace with a final round 76, Saigo birdied the last regulation hole to get into the playoff. Saigo's closing 74 gave her a tournament aggregate of seven-under-par 281 (70-68-69-74), matched by China's Ruoning Yin (71- 69-70-71), Korea's Hyo Joo Kim (67-71-73-70), American Lindy Duncan (72-66-70-73) and Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn (68-72-70-71). The playoff at the par-five 18th hole saw Duncan and Kim elect to lay up with their second shots, while Saigo, Jutanugarn and Yin went for the green in two. Saigo's approach went long, and she took relief from the grandstand before playing a superb chip to three feet. After Duncan and Kim failed to convert long birdie attempts, it was down to Yin and Jutanugarn to see if they could make their putts from around six feet. Both players missed and Saigo calmly rolled in her birdie to take the title, and the USD1.2 million winner's cheque. 'It was my dream to earn this Major. It is my first time to win this tournament, and I was able to realize my dream and I'm very happy about this,' said Saigo, who is the first Japanese winner of the tournament since its inception in 1972. Saigo is the fifth player from Japan to win a Major title and the third to do so over the last two seasons, joining Yuka Saso (2024 US Women's Open) and Ayaka Furue (2024 The Amundi Evian Championship). 'My predecessors have also earned majors, and I really thought I needed to catch up with them as much as possible. But instead of applying too much pressure on myself, I wanted to respect each process and move forward steadily,' noted Saigo, who is a six-time Japan LPGA winner. Three players finished in a tie for sixth on five-under-par, including Ryu and 2019 Chevron Championship winner Jin Young Ko, also of South Korea. Defending champion and world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States settled for joint 14th on two-under-par after starting with a 77. Malaysian amateur Jeneath Wong had earlier missed the halfway cut of two-over-par, following rounds of 78 and 76 in tough, blustery conditions brought about by thunderstorms. 'The experience of playing in The Chevron Championship was unreal and amazing. Playing in the first Major of the year and coming in with no expectations made this tournament a lot more enjoyable, and there are lots of positives to take from the week,' said Wong, who earned her place in the Major with her victory at last month's Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific championship in Vietnam. 'Being able to play on the world stage in a Major with the world's top professionals is just an honour. I was able to see what the pros do differently and was able to learn from that,' added the Pepperdine University junior. This was Wong's second Major outing following the 2023 US Women's Open at Pebble Beach, where she missed the cut by three shots. The 21-year-old will be accorded two more Major invitations this year as reigning Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific champion, for the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort in France and the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales, both in July.
Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Albatross keeps Yan Liu in front at Chevron Championship
Yan Liu of China plays her shot from the second tee during the second round of The Chevron Championship on April 25. PHOTO: AFP HOUSTON – China's Yan Liu recorded a rare albatross – a three-under score on a hole – and emerged with the lead after the second round of the Chevron Championship on April 25 in The Woodlands, Texas. On the par-five eighth hole at The Club at Carlton Woods, her second shot impressively found the hole. Liu wound up shooting an even-par 72, leaving her at seven-under 137 in the first LPGA Major of the season. She said of her albatross: 'I take my 7-iron and I see the ball (went) in, so that's a really cool thing. But I think (the TV crew doesn't) have video for that hole. Little sad. 'I think I jumped twice on the fairway. Just very happy and so excited. Players in (my) group say congrats to me, so that's very nice.' Four players are tied for second at six under – Lindy Duncan (66), Sarah Schmelzel (68), Japan's Mao Saigo (68) and South Korea's Kim Hyo-joo (71). Angel Yin (70), Belgium's Manon De Roey (71) and South Koreans Choi Hye-jin (71) and Ryu Hae-ran (74) share sixth place at five under. Ryu and Liu were the co-leaders after the opening round. Additionally, China's Zhang Weiwei was five under through 15 holes and five under for the tournament when play was suspended due to darkness. Liu, a 27-year-old who has yet to win an LPGA event, admitted she will feel some pressure entering the weekend. 'I think definitely I will feel a little bit, because this – well, this is Major,' she said. 'I know the course going to be harder, harder, so I think just I just stay patient, calm. Because I'm very emotional person, yes.' World No. 1 and defending champion Nelly Korda bounced back from a 77 in the first round with a 68, leaving her tied for 46th at one over. Also at one over is world No. 3 Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who shot a second-round 72. In men's golf, Isaiah Salinda holed a late birdie putt as he and Kevin Velo secured a one-shot lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Salinda and Velo opened the team event with a 58, a tournament record for four-ball (best ball). The action on April 25 was foursomes (alternate shot), and the duo managed a three-under 69 to hang on to the lead at 17-under 127. They were ahead of Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin, who turned in a 66 earlier in the day to get to 16 under. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
