The Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award winner, Mao Saigo, joined the LPGA Tour in 2024. Since joining the tour, the 23-year-old has shown great finishes as he cut 24 events out of 29 participations. Additionally, she even recorded nine top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the CPKC Women’s Open. Even though her professional career has caught the limelight, her early life and family background are still overshadowed. So let’s take a look at the rising golf star’s background.

Family and ethnicity of the Mao Saigo

Mao Saigo was born on October 8, 2001, to Masashi Saigo, her father, and Sakae Saigo, her mother. Saigo’s father is reportedly the CEO of an IT company and a golf enthusiast who idolizes Jumbo Ozaki. The great involvement in the game has helped the daughter on a clear path to learn from the best. Saigo started playing under her father’s influence and was later taught by the legendary golfer Ozaki himself.

Even her mother has had a pivotal role, as she used to take care of her diet. As shared by Golf-channel.COM, when Saigo traveled to the US for the event, her mother used to accompany her to prepare home-cooked food, which even Mao Saigo has praised when citing her mother’s support. The LPGA professional was born into a family of four, having an older sister.

With the family background and history of Funabashi City in Chiba Prefecture, Saigo grew up in the city, which is a part of the Greater Tokyo area. Being among the top names of Japanese professionals and with a family history, she carries the Japanese ethnicity. Saigo’s father, with his enthusiasm towards golf, has begun a new tradition in the family, in addition to the Japanese culture. The perseverance towards sports is what has helped Mao Saigo become a professional.

Early life and junior career of the Japanese professional

The Japanese professional was introduced to the sport by her father at an early age. At the age of 5, she used to swing the child-sized golf clubs under the guidance of her father. The beginning with just swinging later turned into serious practice to improve, and then his father took the next step to enroll her in a junior golf school to adopt new skills.

She joined the Mizuno Golf Academy in grade 4 and started to showcase her natural ability to hit the ball. Later, she joined the high school at Reitaku, a school that is famous for its golf program. Under her parents’ guidance, the journey of rigorous practice and honing new skills began in middle and high school. The practice has resulted in her first national title at the age of 17.

In 2019, Saigo won the Japan Women’s Amateur Championship. Following that performance, she turned professional in January 2020 at the age of 18 and joined the LPGA of Japan Tour. By 2023, Saigo had bagged six professional victories, of which five came in 2022. Notably, she, with her performance at the major, has recorded great finishes. She was T3 at the Evian Championship in 2022.

Later in 2023, she recorded a T7 finish at the Women’s PGA Championship and Women’s British Open. With such an impressive feat in her career, she, after joining the LPGA Tour in 2024, has continued to showcase great form. Even in 2025, she, with just six appearances in 2025, has recorded a T5 finish at the Blue Bay LPGA. Apart from this, she has a T11 finish at the HSBC Women’s World Championship too.

Interestingly, with the first major of the year, Mao Saigo has performed exceptionally with rounds of 70 and 68 to secure a T2 place after two rounds. With many top names, including Nelly Korda, struggling to get under par at the Chevron Championship, she has consistently played two rounds to stay close to the top spot. But will the final two rounds be in her favor? Can she win her first LPGA title, and that too, a major? What do you think? Share with us in the comments below.