It seems Nelly Korda has found a new rival on the greens. In golf, the fight for the world No. 1 spot is a never-ending battle. After claiming her first major title at the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Korda has held onto the seat for a long time now. However, 2025 Chevron Championship winner Mao Saigo has made it clear she’s coming for that top spot.

Saigo shot a 5-foot birdie putt to win a historic and chaotic five-woman playoff at the Chevron Championship. While it became her first major title, the Japanese star is far from satisfied. After claiming the silver trophy, Saigo, in the press conference, made some bold claims. When asked about her future plans, she, without hesitation, said, “I still have four more majors to go, and I want to shoot for No. 1 in the world. I will do my best in the remaining four majors.” 

For starters, she is eyeing the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin, from May 29 to June 1. Well, there won’t be only Nelly Korda to greet her at the tournament. Yuka Saso, another Japanese star who won the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open, will also be there, and she will bring some extra edge to retain her title. Saigo is currently #37 in the Rolex women’s world golf rankings. To climb up, she will have to beat golfers like Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, and more.

Mao Saigo was off to a decent start, carding a 70 in the first round. However, from the second round, she started climbing the leaderboard when she shot a 68. Similarly, in the third round, she also had a lower score of 69. However, things took a rough turn in the final round, and it was forced to a five-woman playoff. Aside from Saigo, there were Ruoning Yin, Hyo Joo Kim, Lindy Duncan, and Ariya Jutanugarn. But it was the Japanese star who came out on top. Overwhelmed with emotions, she couldn’t hold back her tears after the win.

Mao Saigo bawls her eyes out

Saigo joined the LPGA Tour just last year. Although she had seven top-10 finishes out of 29 starts, she missed the cut at the Chevron Championship. That’s right, the very tournament she won this time. Talk about a comeback. Certainly, the major win demanded a lot of commitment from her, as she said, “I was so laser-focused and nervous and really in the zone.” Not only that, her vision completely narrowed, as she was only focusing on the golf ball.

“All I could think of is the ball in front of me. I couldn’t see anything else. I was shaking from nervousness, but I did my best to calm down, and I shot, and it went in,” she added further. After besting four players at the largest playoff at an LPGA major in history, she started crying on the greens. It was a dream come true for Mao Saigo. Now, it will be interesting to see how her career turns out from here.

What do you think about Mao Saigo’s challenge to Nelly Korda? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!