Golf in 2020: Breakout year for Saso, Pagdanganan on foreign soil

Despite the health crisis brought by the coronavirus pandemic, golf was among the sports that pushed through in the last quarter of 2020 after months of lockdown both on local and international scene.

- WAYLON GALVEZ

Filipino bets Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan, the stars of the gold medal-winning Philippine women’s team in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, finally made their respective professional debuts amidst the danger of COVID-19 when golf resumed play middle of the year.

Saso, who also won gold in the individual category in the Asian Games, made her debut at the Earth Mondahmin Cup in Chiba after earning her LPGA of Japan Tour card in 2019.

It didn’t take long for the 19-year old Saso to make her presence felt despite being a tour rookie. She bagged her first title by ruling the NEC Karuizawa 72 championship last August 16, and two weeks later, captured the Notori Ladies Golf Tournament trophy.