The winner of the Women’s British Open did come from the final pairing but it was Japan’s twenty-year-old Hinako Shibuno and not Ashleigh Buhai.
Buhai finished fifth alone after a 70. Three birdies in four holes after the turn put the South African within touching distance of the lead but closed out the championship with a run of four pars and bogey.
That left Shibuno to battle Lizette Salas and Jin Young Ko, in the group ahead.
Salas’ 65 set her clubhouse lead at -17 with Ko’s matching 33s leaving her one short.
Shibuno, who overtook Buhai in the third round, came down 18 tied with Salas before claiming the title with a 72nd hole birdie.
Shibuno’s brilliant approach to the 18th green here at Woburn! #AIGWBO pic.twitter.com/B0BLSLhGpv
— AIG Women’s British Open (@AIGWBO) August 4, 2019
The 20-year-old from Okayama city became just the second Japanese player to win a Major championship, joining Chako Higuchi, who won the 1977 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 42 years ago.
It was her first appearance outside of Japan and she became the second player this decade to win in her first major appearance, joining Hyo Joo Kim, who won the 2014 Evian Championship.
It was a fairytale finish for the player known as ‘Smiling Cinderella’. She smiled all the way around the Marquess course and high fived the gallery from green to tee, even smiling as she hit her second shot into the 18th green.
She bowed to the crowd in the grandstand as she approached edge of the green and rammed her birdie putt into the centre of the hole, before punching the air and flashing the smile for which she is known.
Her 68, for a total of 270, 18-under-par, left her a shot clear of American Salas, who lipped out from five feet on the last.
World No 1 Ko, who was looking for her third Major title of 2019, left her 40-foot birdie putt on 18 just short. American Morgan Pressel bogeyed the 18th after finding the sand with her second shot and splashing out short of the flag.
