Shiho Kuwaki claims AIG Women’s Open after play-off
Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki produced a sensational par save to stay alive before going on to deny Germany’s Esther Henseleit and claim the AIG Women’s Open at the second play-off hole.
On a day when Royal Lytham and St Annes’ 166 bunkers claimed victim after victim, the 23-year-old from Okayama closed with a one-under 70 to set the target at five under.
Henseleit and overnight leader Yealimi Noh came to the 18th needing a birdie to tie, and it was German who pulled it off, making an outrageous 35-footer for a 70 as the American shot 74,
On their return to the 18th, Kuwaki drove into heavy rough before hacking out and then firing a 108-yard wedge to three feet.
Her par was good enough to extend the play-off after Heinseleit missed from 12 feet for the title.
But there were to be no mistakes from the Japanese star (23) on their return to the 18th as she split the fairway and won with a par after the German drove into the edge of the gorse on the right and, after being forced to chip out, failed to make a 12-footer to extend the play-off.
“I just can’t believe it,” Kuwaki said through a translator after becoming the third Japanese winner and the second in a row following Miyū Yamashita’s triumph last year
"To be able to win again as a Japanese player is just such an amazing feeling, and I hope as part of Team Japan we can continue to light up the golf world and hope everyone enjoys it as well.”
In the Portugal Invitational on the PGA Tour Champions, Pádraig Harrington couldn’t keep pace with a red-hot Zach Johnson and finished third, four shots behind the former Masters Champion.
The Dubliner was tied for the overnight lead with Stewart Cink and Rory Sabbatini, one stroke clear of Johnson at The Els Club Vilamoura.
But as Sabbatini struggled to a four-over 76 and joint 13th alongside the likes of Darren Clarke, Harrington could manage only a two-under 70 as Johnson shot a bogey-free, seven-under 65 to win by two strokes from Cink, who shot 68, on 19-under.
“This is amazing,” Johnson (50) said of his fourth win of the season. “Very special to be the inaugural champion, certainly to be the champion of a tournament that is directly associated with Ernie and Liezl and the whole Els family, obviously The Els Club.”
Cink remains at the top of the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings with Johnson second and Harrington third with 11 events remaining.
On the HotelPlanner Tour, only one of the four Irish managed to break par in the final round of the Infortar Estonian Challenge.
Mark Power shot a level par 72 to finish tied for 31st on seven under, 12 strokes behind Scotland’s Rory Franssen, who shot 67 to win by three shots from overnight leader Andrew Wilson of England (71) on 19-under.
Liam Nolan shot 71 to finish 36th on six under as Ronan Mullarney shot 74 to share 46th on four under and Gary Hurley a78 for 62nd on one under.
