Filipino-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso celebrates with the Harton S. Semple Trophy after winning the 76th US Women's Open Championship at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. Saso made history as the first Filipino to win the professional golf tournament following a 3-hole playoff against Nasa Hataoka of Japan. Ezra Shaw, Getty Images/AFP/file
Yuka Saso, a dual citizen of Japan and the Philippines who in June became the second teenager to win the US Women's Open, revealed Wednesday she would select Japanese citizenship.
Saso, who competes on Japan's women's tour and who represented the Philippines in this summer's Tokyo Olympics, broke the news at a press conference ahead of this week's Toto Japan Classic in Shiga Prefecture.
"It's true that I have selected Japanese citizenship," said the 20-year-old. "I've been thinking that I'd choose Japanese citizenship."
Saso is the child of a Japanese father and a Filipino mother and grew up in both countries.
"Whichever I choose, I'm both Japanese and Filipino," she said.
Japanese law demands Japanese holding dual citizenship must choose one by their 22nd birthday.