Did Shibuno Pull Off The Women's Major Championship Equivalent To Ouimet At Brookline?
/
It may not be mentioned with Ouimet’s shocker at Brookline, Jack’s comeback in 86 or Tiger’s two most triumphant Masters wins in 1997 and 2019, but as far as golf tournaments I’ve watched Hinako Shibuno’s win at the 2019 British Women’s Open will rank with the wackiest, most improbable and most inexplicable.
She’s also just the second Japanese player to win one of golf’s major championships.
I’m going to step out of the way now and let some crack pro writers who were there explain what happened, but just remember, Shibuno had never competed outside of Japan. At 20, I’m not thinking she’s multiple buddies trips to the heathland or linksland, so to say she was a tad green would not be rude.
Anyway, it was a joy to watch, a real bummer for two LPGA stalwarts in Lizette Salas and Morgan Pressel, and a true heartbreaker for Jin Young Ko looking to win a third major and second in two weeks. Yes, this was zany!
Beth Ann Nichols for Golfweek.
British fans were captivated by the speedy player with the double-jointed arms and a sweet tooth who never stopped smiling. They rose to their feet and roared when she drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to slip past American Lizette Salas by a single stroke on a day of riveting golf. It was a fairy-tale finish for the ages by a player nicknamed the “Smiling Cinderella” by Japanese media.
And then there was the day she did it, prompting this simple question from Randall Mell at GolfChannel.com:
Has anybody ever made it look more fun playing the back nine on the Sunday of a major while tied for the lead?
Ron Sirak for LPGA.com:
This sensational Sunday had more subplots than a Charles Dickens novel. All six of the players in the final three twosomes had a chance to win.
The last hole birdie, though it doesn’t really capture the quality of the play by all down the stretch and the amazing stories of Salas, Pressel and Ko that added to the insanity of the whole thing.
And her remarks after…
