Japanese women golfers find their swing on the LPGA tour

TOKYO — Mao Saigo’s playoff win last month at the Chevron Championship in Texas — the LPGA’s season’s first major of the season — was not just a personal triumph for the 23-year-old golfer. It also marked the ascendance of Japanese women’s golf and showcased Asia’s growing dominance in the sport.

Three of the four competitors whom Saigo edged out were Asian, coming from China, Thailand and South Korea.