Smiling Cinderella from Japan sweeps women’s golf to new high

By Rahul Banerji

Seasoned golf writers swooned like teenagers. Crowds rivalling those at men’s majors lined the fairways and galleries at the Women’s British Open. Opponents were charmed into submission by a 20-year-old rookie from Japan who scripted a fairy-tale all for herself.

Hinako Shibuno had never even played professionally outside of her native Japan till a week ago. And yet there she was, calmly rolling a birdie putt from well over 15 feet in front of an enthralled and entranced Woburn gallery to seal her first international title.

Smiling and high-fiving her way around the tree-lined Buckinghamshire course (Shibuno was surprised to see so many trees on arrival, thinking Woburn was a links course), she survived a final round thriller that was decided by her 18^th hole putt.

Quick mover

At least four others were in contention at different points of the round including South Korean world number one Ko Jin-young who was gunning for her third major of the year, but it was the fast-moving and fast-rising golfer from Japan who came up trumps.

“I can’t really describe with words right now what I’m feeling. I’m also hungry, and a little nauseous at the same time,” Shibuno said later.

“I was more nervous on the front nine but I was OK on the back nine. I felt like I was going to cry on the 18th but the tears didn’t come out”

“I was looking online and I did see that it’s been 42 years since a Japanese player has last won. I do feel that I have accomplished something great, but I really don’t know the reason why I was able to accomplish it.”

Making history

With her victory at Milton Keynes, the Okayama City resident became the second from Japan to win a major championship after Chako Higuchi, who won the 1977 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, all of 42 years ago.

Experienced American Lizette Salas was a putt away from a possible playoff, but ran it past the hole on the 18^th while Shibuno, playing two groups behind her, made no such mistake.

She had earlier four-putted for a double-bogey early on in her round and dropped another shot before making the turn.

Salas had the week’s low round, 7-under 65, but Shibuno had five birdies on the back nine to seal her win.

Shibuno – nicknamed Smiling Cinderella on her home tour – was the only one in the field to hit 60s on all four days and made the most of her affinity with the back nine, on which she had a pair of 6-under 30s and a 31 on Sunday.

Personal clown

Adding a bit of spice was her manager, Hiroshi Shigematsu, who is tasked with making Shibuno smile. On Saturday at the Woburn Golf Club, he was a Samurai warrior with a blue wig and a plastic sword. On Sunday, the wig stayed, with a clown’s mask added on.

“When I came out here this week, whenever I make eye contact with the spectators and smile, they smile back at me, so I was consciously trying to do that all week.

“In golf, we play in front of spectators, and there are many viewers that watch golf on TV and I want them to enjoy watching golf.”

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