Yuka Saso named PSA Athlete of the Year

MANILA – Filipina-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso will headline this year’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards.

The country’s oldest media organization announced on Sunday that Saso, who quickly made waves in her rookie season as a pro last year, has been named the Athlete of the Year.

“The 19-year-old Saso was a bundle of hope and inspiration for the more than 100 million Filipinos at a time when local sports took a severe beating as the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak cast its huge shadows not only in the country but globally as well,” the PSA said in a statement.

Saso won two Ladies Professional Golf Association titles in Japan while displaying some brilliance in the US Open by finishing 13th overall.

She ended the year at No. 45 in the world rankings with PHP50 million earnings.

This will be Saso’s second Athlete of the Year award in a span of three years, having won the 2019 edition alongside fellow golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz for their 2018 Asian Games golds.

The PSA Awards will be done virtually on March 27 with the physical aspect happening at the TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong.