Saki Baba

In August 2022, Saki Baba became only the second Japanese winner of the US Women’s Amateur, after Michiko Hattori in 1985.

Aged just 17, Baba dominated the final against Monet Chun at Chambers Bay, completing an emphatic 11 & 9 victory by winning six holes in succession.

“Honestly, I was trying to match up, but it was pretty amazing just to watch,” said Chun. “She was going for every pin, making every putt, and that’s hard to match up.”

Baba, who made her AIG Women's Open debut at Walton Heath in 2023, has since turned professional and now returns to the championship as a member of the LPGA Tour.