Yuka Saso was savoring every moment after winning her second U.S. Women’s Open last year.
The 23-year-old took the trophy on tours in Japan and the Philippines, both of which she is a native of. Then, she returned to Dallas, Texas, her American home. The replica trophy from her 2021 victory is in her house, but the hardware from 2024 has been stored in a more unique spot.
“Everywhere I go. Wherever I go. It was in my car,” Saso said Monday at Erin Hills ahead of her title defense. “Nobody is going to steal my car. They were like, ‘Oh, what's that? Must be very important.’”
Wait, it was just sitting out in the open?
“One time in a box and one time in my passenger seat,” she said.
Buckled in?
“Of course,” she said. “But not the bottom part, just the top part.”
Now, Saso is looking to become the first back-to-back U.S. Women’s Open champion since Karrie Webb in 2001. If she can pull it off, Saso can ride around with the trophy for another year.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Yuka Saso Kept U.S. Women's Open Trophy Buckled in the Passenger Seat of Her Car.