Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki won her first major championship as she defeated Germany’s Esther Henseleit on the second playoff hole Sunday to claim the Women’s Open in Lytham St Annes, England.
Kuwaki posted a 1-under-par 70 on Sunday to be the first to finish at 5-under 279 through four rounds at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Henseleit sank a 40-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to cap her final-round 70 and force a sudden-death playoff.
“Yeah, my hands were shaking while I was watching her go up to that putt,” Kuwaki said. “But I did think to myself as soon as I came off 18 it probably would be a playoff, so I was prepared for that.”
Kuwaki scrambled for par on the first playoff hole while Henseleit missed a 15-foot birdie putt. When the duo played No. 18 again, Henseleit drove into the rough and wound up with a bogey.
Kuwaki was able to two-putt for par to snag her first LPGA Tour victory that happened to come with a $1.5 million payday.
Now she won’t have to attend Q-School to retain her LPGA card, which had been her plan prior to Sunday.
“Just can’t believe I won,” Kuwaki said, “and I’m just full of happiness and appreciation for everything that’s coming my way.”
Kuwaki and Henseleit began the day three shots behind leader Yealimi Noh, but Noh bogeyed four of her first 12 holes on the way to a 74 that left her one shot out of the playoff.
“Obviously it stings coming up one short and having a not-great round, but I’m still very happy to have been in this position,” said Noh, who sought her first major title. “… I came into the week feeling very unsure how my game was and disappointed in past results. This week has given me so much more confidence and I’m really thankful for that.”
Kuwaki shrugged off two early bogeys and posted birdies on Nos. 2, 9 and 13 to fashion her 70. Henseleit stacked up four birdies and four bogeys before sinking her long putt at No. 18 to trigger the playoff.
“It was a very confusing putt, to be honest,” Henseleit said. “It was going right to left and everything. The last three feet it was tracking and I was (thinking), ‘Oh, OK, it might actually go in.’ Yeah, it was a great moment when that putt dropped in.”
Kuwaki became the second consecutive player from Japan to capture the Women’s Open. Last year at Royal Porthcawl in Wales, Miyu Yamashita claimed a two-shot win.
“I would like to thank my family. I would like to thank my team,” Kuwaki said. “And recently we had an earthquake in Kumamoto, and I would like to just give them a speedy recovery and best wishes (to) them as well.”
The Nos. 1 and 2 players in the world tied for fourth at 2 under, as Nelly Korda fired a 3-under 68 and Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand signed for a 2-over 73.
Thitikul was in the hunt for her first career major title, while Korda and South Korea’s Haeran Ryu finished the season with two apiece, coming up short of claiming a third. Ryu (74) tied for sixth at 1 under with Englishwomen Charley Hull (72) and Lottie Woad (73), Wei Ling Hsu of Taiwan (69), Shannon Tan of Singapore (69) and Rio Takeda of Japan (69).
