Women’s British Open: Ashleigh Buhai bounces back from late collapse to win first major title in playoffs

আগস্ট 15, 2022
মন্তব্য নেই
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The South African had held a five-shot lead going into Sunday’s final round, but a disastrous triple bogey on the 15th hole saw three-time major champion Chun In-gee equal 10-under and force a sudden death playoff.

Right after par, bogey, par, the pair could not be separated after three rounds of the 18th hole, but the breakthrough came on the fourth round when Chun drove her tee shot into a bunker.

When the South Korean bogeyed, Buhai had to tap home from a superb approach shot from the sand to win on par, and the 33-year-old made no mistake to claim her first major win at the inaugural Women’s Open at Muirfield.

This makes Buhai the first South African to win the event since Alison Sheard in 1979, ending a 34-year wait for the country’s next great champion after Sally Little’s victory at the du Maurier Classic in 1988.

Muirfield hosted women’s golf for the first time and already had a special meaning for the South African men’s game, as legendary duo Gary Player and Ernie Els achieved their first Open wins in 1959 and 2002 respectively.

“It’s a great honor to have more South African success here,” Buhai told reporters.

“To follow these two greats [Els and Player]two of my idols are growing up and for us to be playing and making history here in Muirfield for the first time, I feel very, very honored and very, very proud to be a South African now.

“To be honest, I’m a bit overwhelmed. I’m trying to catch my breath but of course it’s fantastic to win this championship… a dream come true,” she added.

“It was a long journey”

After turning pro in 2007, the triumph at Muirfield marked Buhai’s first win on the LPGA Tour, with the $1,095,000 purse taking her career earnings to $3,503,926, according to the LPGA website.

The South African has won three times on the Ladies European Tour – including an early win at the Catalonia Ladies Masters – but after finishing fifth at the 2019 Open in Woburn, she had marked her best career performance at a Major, which Muirfield represents an unprecedented new high.

“It’s been a long journey,” Buhai said.

“I turned pro at 18, a lot of things were expected of me. I won straight away on the Ladies European Tour, but this game makes life difficult.

“I’m just so proud of how I got through it. I’ve said in the last four or five years I’ve finally started to get my bearings in the LPGA and felt like I could keep up, and even though I’m now at 33 I feel like I’m for the best playing golf of my career.

“It’s been a long journey, but man, now it’s all worth it.”

Buhai’s first major victory was a fitting summary of that journey. After the South African roared into a commanding lead with 70, 65, 64 in the first three laps of the par 71 course, it seemed as if the South African was sliding towards an agonizing collapse at the end.

After sinking eight birdies on Saturday, Buhai only made one throughout the final lap when her four-over-75 chun opened the door to catch her with a one-under-70.

To add the British Open to their three major titles, including a win at the PGA Championship in June, a second-place finish was the closest thing to winning the event.
Chun plays her tee shot from the 13th during the final round.

“I’m always happy when I finish in a good position,” Chun told reporters. “I felt like I had a great season and I have more tournaments ahead of me in the future.

“I think now I have a lot of confidence that I can play well on links courts.”

Despite an eagle on the fifth hole, Japan’s Hinako Shibuno missed the playoff by just one shot after carding an even 71.

For two-time major champion Brooke Henderson, it's a family affair
Ireland’s Leona Maguire, Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and Australia’s Minjee Lee tied for 7-am in fourth place, while newly crowned Evian Championship winner Brooke Henderson was two shots behind in the group in seventh place.
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