Mao Saigo Facts: 14 Things You Didn't Know About The Japanese Golfer

Discover more about Japanese pro golfer, Mao Saigo via these facts regarding her life and journey through the game so far...

Mao Saigo holds her ball up to the crowd at the 2025 Chevron Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Mao Saigo is among the top female Japanese golfers in the professional game, and she already has multiple wins under her belt. Discover more about Saigo's life and career so far via these facts.

MAO SAIGO FACTS

1. Saigo was born on October 8, 2001 in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan.

2. She is 5ft3in (1.59m) tall.

3. Saigo first started playing golf at the age of five after accompanying her father to the local course.

4. Saigo's inspiration growing up was Yuri Fudoh, the JLPGA Tour money winner six times in a row between 2000-2005.

5. Her blood type is AB.

6. Saigo's favorite club is any of her short irons.

7. Her lowest single round as a professional is 63.

8. In 2019, Saigo won the Japan Women's Amateur Championship.

9. Saigo turned professional in 2020 and went on to join the JLPGA Tour. The following year, she finished runner-up seven times and ended fourth on the money list.

10. Saigo recorded three wins and two runner-up finishes in the first six tournaments of the 2022 JLPGA Tour campaign. She went on to lift two more trophies over the remainder of the season.

11. She has top-10 finishes at three of the five women's Majors. Her best result was a T3rd at the 2022 Evian Championship.

12. Saigo finished T2nd at the final stage of LPGA Tour Q-School in 2023.

13. Saigo was named the LPGA Tour's 2024 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year after a brilliant debut season. The Japanese pro made 24 out of 29 cuts, recorded seven top-10s and was twice runner-up (CPKC Women’s Open and Buick LPGA Shanghai), earning over $1.6 million.

14. She attended Nihon Wellness Sports University, north-east of Tokyo.

MAO SAIGO BIO

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Born

October 8, 2001 - Funabashi, Chiba, Japan

Height

5ft3in (1.59m)

College

Nihon Wellness Sports University

Turned Pro

2020

Former Tour

LPGA Tour of Japan

Current Tour

LPGA Tour

Pro Wins

6

Best Major Finish

T3rd (2022 Evian Championship)

Highest World Ranking

18th

MAO SAIGO WINS

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Tour

Event

Winning Score

JLPGA Tour

2022 Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament

-10 (one stroke)

JLPGA Tour

2022 AXA Ladies Golf Tournament in Miyazaki

-9 (one stroke)

JLPGA Tour

2022 Yamaha Ladies Open Katsuragi

-8 (one stroke)

JLPGA Tour

2022 Panasonic Open Ladies Golf Tournament

-10 (two strokes)

JLPGA Tour

2022 Bridgestone Ladies Open

-13 (two strokes)

JLPGA Tour

2023 Ito En Ladies Golf Tournament

-16 (three strokes)

TOPICS
Jonny Leighfield
Staff Writer

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.

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