By: Max Bechtoldt
When Yuka Saso moved from playing under the Philippine flag to the Japanese, many raised their eyebrows. Saso likely had a guaranteed spot in the Olympics for 2024 and probably 2028, while Japan is one of the most competitive teams to make.
Well, it seems those concerns were for nothing, as Saso won the U.S. Women’s Open just three weeks before the Olympic qualifying gets locked in. Saso’s win moved her up 24 slots in the Rolex Rankings, from No. 30 up to No. 6, which makes her easily the highest rated player from Japan.
Saso was previously ranked behind Nasa Hataoka, Miyu Yamashita and Ayaka Furue. The second spot now comes down to No. 19 Hataoka and No. 22 Furue, which will be probably the tightest race for Paris.
Furue is certainly trending up this season, while Hataoka has for the most part been in neutral. Hataoka began the season ranked No. 17 in the world, and has two top-10 finishes with two missed cuts. Furue, meanwhile hasn’t missed a cut and has six top-10 finishes. If she can scratch out another couple high finishes, she stands a good shot at representing Japan.
Yamashita is the wild card here, playing on the JLPGA full time. Yamashita has seven top-10 finishes on that tour this year, and has placed in the top-20 in both majors in 2024. She’s currently at No. 25, so she has a bit more of a hill to climb, but its possible she could get in the mix.
Japan had a huge week at the U.S. Women’s Open, with five players in the top 10. Expect that success to continue at more majors in 2024, and likely in the Olympics.
