Yuka Saso hoists the US Open trophy after winning in a sudden death playoff over Nasa Hataoka following the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club. File Photo. Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters.
Starting the 2022 season, the LPGA will recognize Yuka Saso as a Japanese golfer.
The 20-year-old, who was born in San Ildefonso, Bulacan to a Filipino mother and a Japanese father, chose her Japanese citizenship in November and it appears that the change will take effect this year.
Japanese law demands that those with dual citizenships must choose one by their 22nd birthday.
On the LPGA website, Saso's official profile now features the Japanese flag instead of the Philippines'.
Saso will open her season in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida, which starts on January 20.
Before opting for her Japanese citizenship, Saso had represented the Philippines in both the amateur and professional ranks.
She won individual and team gold in the 2018 Asian Games, then became the first Filipino to win a golf major when she ruled the US Women's Open last year. Saso still carried the Philippine flag in the Tokyo Olympics, where she finished in joint ninth place.
Saso is currently ranked eighth in the world.