Mao Saigo reveals being afraid of drowning during Chevron Championship celebration

On Sunday, April 27, Mao Saigo won her first LPGA golf major. She won the Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods in a dramatic fashion. Saigo even followed the Chevron tradition of the winner jumping into a pond. This pond is located on the 18th green and is known as Poppie's Pond. Saigo talked about her pond jump during her post-round interview, revealing her fear.

Saigo stated that she was initially shy while jumping into the pond. This is why she tried to convince as many people as possible to jump with her. She said (via ASAP Sports):

"Well, I was a bit too shy to jump in the pond by myself, so I wanted to invite other people to jump in the pond with me."

Following this, Mao Saigo revealed that she is not a good swimmer and was afraid of drowning in the pond at first.

"I'm not really a good swimmer. When I went inside, it was deep and at first I thought I was going to drown."

Despite being in only her second year on the LPGA Tour, the 23-year-old Japanese golfer showed poise and skill under pressure. After a difficult final round in which she shot a two-over 74, Saigo entered the playoff with a crucial birdie on the 18th hole. Mao Saigo won the playoff with another birdie on the same hole, making her the first Japanese winner of this prestigious event.

How much money did Mao Saigo make from winning the Chevron Championship?

Mao Saigo celebrates her Chevron Championship 2025 triumph - Source: Getty

The 2025 Chevron Championship had a total purse of $8,000,000. Out of this, Mao Saigo, after winning the whole thing, took $1.2 million as her prize money. Apart from her, the top ten received a significant portion of the total purse value. Here's a look at each player's winnings:

Winner: Mao Saigo, $1.2 million
T-2: Ariya Jutanugarn, $462,966
T-2: Hyo Joo Kim, $462,966
T-2: Ruoning Yin, $462,966
T-2: Lindy Duncan, $462,966
T-6: Jin Young Ko, $214,136
T-6: Sarah Schmelzel, $214,136
T-6: Haeran Ryu, $214,136
T-9: Manon De Roey, $145,789
T-9: Carlota Ciganda, $145,789
T-9: Hye-Jin Choi, $145,789
T-9: Yan Liu, $145,789
13: Angel Yin, $121,442
T-14: Nelly Korda, $104,783
T-14: Weiwei Zhang, $104,783
T-14: Minjee Lee, $104,783
T-14: Lexi Thompson, $104,783
T-18: Allisen Corpuz, $83,803
T-18: Esther Henseleit, $83,803
T-18: Mi Hyang Lee, $83,803
T-18: Chanettee Wannasaen, $83,803
T-18: Lauren Coughlin, $83,803
T-18: In Gee Chun, $83,803
T-24: Jeeno Thitikul, $69,424
T-24: Sei Young Kim, $69,424
T-24: Emily Kristine Pedersen, $69,424
T-24: Somi Lee, $69,424
T-28: Brooke Matthews, $61,648
T-28: Georgia Hall, $61,648
T-30: Chisato Iwai, $48,689
T-30: Stephanie Kyriacou, $48,689
T-30: Andrea Lee, $48,689
T-30: Dewi Weber, $48,689
T-30: Ayaka Furue, $48,689
T-30: Miya Yamashita, $48,689
T-30: Sophia Popov, $48,689
T-30: Pajaree Anannarukarn, $48,689
T-30: Elizabeth Szokil, $48,689
T-30: Lucy Li, $48,689
T-40: Yuri Yoshida, $36,286
T-40: A Lim Kim, $36,286
T-40: Cassie Porter, $36,286
T-40: Megan Khang, $36,286
T-44: Brooke Henderson, $28,741
T-44: Maja Stark, $28,741
T-44: Yuna Nishimura, $28,741
T-44: Akie Iwai, $28,741
T-44: Gabriela Ruffels, $28,741
T-44: Hinako Shibuno, $28,741
T-44: Albane Valenzuela, $28,741
T-44: Auston Kim, $28,741
T-52: Nasa Hataoka, $22,215
T-52: Lydia Ko, $22,215
T-52: Ingrid Lindblad, $22,215
T-52: Ina Yoon, $22,215
T-52: Miranda Wang, $22,215
T-52: Amy Yang, $22,215
T-52: Cheyenne Knight, $22,215
T-59: Grace Kim, $18,639
T-59: Anna Nordqvist, $18,639
T-59: Rio Takeda, $18,639
T-62: Aditi Ashok, $17,032
T-62: Jasmine Suwannapura, $17,032
T-62: Paulina Roussin-Bouchard, $17,032
T-62: Minami Katsu, $17,032
T-62: Ashleigh Buhai, $17,032
T-67: Alena Sharp, $15,551
T-67: Leona Maguire, $15,551
T-67: Alexa Pano, $15,551
70: Gigi Stoll, $14,812
T-71: Paula Reto, $14,533
T-71: Jenny Shin, $14,533
T-71: Gianna Clemente, $0 (A)
T-74: Jin Hee Im, $14,161
T-74: Yu Liu, $14,161
T-76: Peiyun Chien, $13,812
T-76: Frida Kinhult, $13,812
78: Lilia Vu, $13,549
T-79: Ryann O’Toole, $13,291
T-79: Jeongeun Lee5, $13,291
81: Pernilla Lindberg, $13,037

About the author

Anurag Bhardwaj is a Golf Journalist at Sportskeeda. With over three years of experience writing about various sports, Anurag has drawn inspiration from numerous icons, ranging from WWE’s Roman Reigns to NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes. His passion for storytelling spans across different sports, all while pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Dental Surgery, and he hopes to continue blending both his professions.

A single spark ignited his love for golf, and now he follows the sport with unwavering enthusiasm. Whether it’s the Masters or the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Anurag is always ready for a deep dive into the action. Through his writing, he brings the latest happenings from the golf world straight to the fans' screens. And while he dreams of stepping onto a golf course someday, he remains in awe of Scottie Scheffler’s precision, all while striving to become a great doctor.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl