Yuka Saso and her swing modeled after Rory McIlroy

Filipino golf phenom Yuka Saso’s idol is Rory McIlroy. Saso’s has mentioned McIlroy as her favorite golfer on her profile.

During the U.S. Women’s Open, where she became the first Filipino to win a major competition, she was told that her swings are exactly like McIlroy. This is because she modeled her swing after Mcilroy. After winning the competition, she raised her trophy and said, “I did it! Thank you Rory.”

Saso’s swings are similar to McIlroy’s. For example, when doing a backswing, Saso’s left arm is straight enough to be level with the ground, and she turns her torso all the way to a full finish. In particular, she quickly rotates her hips as soon as her downswing motion starts, which is considered a perfect torso swing. When she contended at the U.S. Women’s Open last year, Golf.com ran an article, comparing Saso’s swings and detailed motions to those of McIlroy. Saso reportedly wears a heavy vest during training as a way to strengthen her muscles to perform swings like McIlroy.

“Get that trophy,” McIlroy wrote on his social media before the fourth round of the U.S. Women’s Open with a picture that compared his swing with that of Saso. “Everyone is going to be watching Yuka Saso swing videos on YouTube now,” wrote McIlroy after the tournament, congratulating Saso on her win.


hun@donga.com