ashleigh buhai ladies european tour

Ashleigh Buhai: My Mental Tools To Win A Major

In her own words, Ashleigh Buhai on how she revamped her mental game to capture the AIG Women's Open at Muirfield

• Sign up to Golf Monthly Newsletter Newsletter

Twenty years previously Ernie Els played one of the great bunker shots in Open history to put the finishing touches, finally, on a four-hole play-off and add his name to the long and decorated list of Open champions at Muirfield. 

The Women's Open had never visited this corner of East Lothian before, but here we had another South African, Ashleigh Buhai, facing another greenside bunker shot and four holes into a sudden death play-off. The result was the same and a par four was good enough to edge out In Gee Chun who had won her third Major just a few weeks earlier. 

For Buhai, at the age of 33, it was her first big one and it came from a very different place. Here the South African recalls how she learnt and adopted the mental skills to get her over the line... 

 'I have always been a pretty relaxed player but the frustrations were building up and up and it was a case of the pressure, having done this for 15 years, and not achieving what I thought I would affecting me more and more. All these things off the course were putting pressure on me on the course.

I first started working with my mental coach Duncan McCarthy in November 2021. My long-term swing coach Doug Wood put us in touch. Doug knew my potential but he knew that there was a missing link. He knew that I needed the self-belief.

When Dunc and I first started working together we looked at the non-golfer first, so the human, and then the golfer. For the first three months we didn’t really talk very much about the golf. It was more about getting me the person to back where I wanted to be and taking the pressure off me and getting me to play free golf again. I think that I soon realised how Covid had affected me, not being able to see my family and friends back in South Africa, and once we had got through that then we worked more on the golf course. 

It is always hard for a golfer to be more accepting of the outcome of a shot, but I just tried to become better. It was also a case of trying to do one thing right instead of five things right every day. And maybe not go into panic mode as well when things aren’t going right. And the more that we practised that, the easier that it became. Just to focus on getting one thing right a day, one thing that I could control instead of thinking of something else in my swing or something else mentally.

Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter

Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.

We didn't meet in person until March 22, we did a lot of on-course work at Palm Beach and all of that work, and the previous video and telephone calls, really helped me take the next step. Then, three weeks later, it really clicked on the course .

We did a lot of work on the putting side where  everything was good fundamentally but I would doubt myself. I had four steps in my routine; read the putt, plumb the putts, line the ball up and then hit it. I would keep second-guessing myself in between the stages, so he came up with the idea of closing the door after each stage. So read it. Close the door. Plum it, trust it and close the door. Line it up. Close the door. And hit it. That was my routine and my only focus - no more second-guessing and commit to it. If it didn't go in, then I had still done everything that I wanted to do.

My acceptance was the best that it had ever been and after three rounds I had a five-stroke lead. The hardest part was the Sunday morning, I was teeing off at 4pm which is brutal. I felt sick, I was at the house on my own and I was emotional. I spoke to Dunc and he just said this was all normal. He could never stop me going to the future but, with the right tools, we could manage that. You're bound to think about the win, the history and the exemptions, but we focused on doing my processes well and, if we could do that, then we would hopefully get the outcome that we wanted. If we didn't and I had stuck to those, that’s all that I could control.

We also talked about how things won't always go to plan.

At the 15th I drove it into a fairway bunker, then it got unlucky and plugged up the face and I had nowhere to go. I treble-bogeyed it but I was still tied for the lead. I stood on the next tee and said the same thing that I had on every swing – keep my rhythm and, because of the wind, swing my backswing at 40 per cent.

I hit the green at the par-3 16th and I settled quickly again. Under pressure putting is the most nervy part, but I holed a four-footer for par and I was good again. I then holed a five-footer to get into the play-off so I was suddenly pumped again. 

The tee shot at 18 is very difficult but I didn’t miss it once. I like to hit a fade, the wind was off the right and I like to hold into the wind so I would just try to hit the same tee shot over and over – 40 per cent on the backswing, hold it on the wind.

My husband Dave says that I don’t give myself enough credit for my bunker play and my caddy said to show everyone why I was the number one player from sand at the time. The moment makes it huge but I picked my spot, it was a long way to carry it but it was downwind and a little downhill lie. So I knew that if I stayed committed and landed it where I wanted, the elements would do the rest for me. It's not like I had to rip it and stop it. It was a tough shot but I’ve played way tougher, the shot on the second play-off hole when I was closer to the lip was actually tougher. There were a few similarities with me and Ernie so maybe it was supposed to be. 

You always want to believe that you can win a Major but you also think realistically in terms of how long you’ve been doing it and how tough it is to win a tournament, let alone a Major. Doug and I had done such a lot of  good work on my swing but, had I not started working with Dunc, I wouldn’t have been able to win at Muirfield. 

As a Major winner I don’t feel any different. I don’t like the limelight and I like to be in my own cocoon, maybe I should live it a bit more. When you win one you don’t want to be a one-hit wonder and I want this to be the start of something. Emotionally it took me a good two months to get my head around it, but it's a lovely feeling to know that nobody can take my name off the trophy and that is something that I will always cherish.' 

Ashleigh Buhai captured the AIG Women's Open title in 2022 after defeating In Gee Chun in an epic four-hole play-off. The victory came after stunning second and third rounds of 65 and 64 set up the South African with a five-shot lead heading into Sunday. A treble-bogey at the 15th hole on Sunday derailed things for a short time but she recovered admirably to set up a play-off and eventually outlast Chun. The win was her first ever Major title, and only the second ever South African triumph in the AIG Women's Open, after Alison Sheard claimed victory in 1979.

After her victory, Buhai said: “It's been a long journey. I turned pro when I was 18, there were a lot of things expected of me. I won straight off the bat on the Ladies European Tour. But this game has a way of giving you a hard time. I'm just so proud of how I've stuck it out. I have said the last four or five years, I've finally started to find my feet on the LPGA and felt I could compete, and although I'm 33 now, I feel I'm playing the best golf of my career. It's been a long journey, but man, it's all worth it right now.”

Defending John Deere Classic champion Sepp Straka returns to TPC Deere Run to compete for the smallest prize purse of any primary event on the PGA Tour so far in 2024

By Jonny Leighfield Published 2 July 24

Marcel Siem insists he will work harder than ever to qualify for The Masters and the Ryder Cup while also aiming to reach the World's top-50...

From fashion, tech, clubhouse rules to the handicap system, PGA Professional Emma Booth considers golf's new era

By Emma Booth Published 30 June 24

Top 50 coach Katie Dawkins aims to fix people's negative perception that golf is too expensive to start

By Katie Dawkins Published 28 June 24

PGA Professional Emma Booth explains what you can learn from watching the world's best players in action

By Emma Booth Published 21 June 24

Ahead of the third women's Major of the year, PGA professional Emma Booth sums up why Charley Hull is a breath of fresh air on and off the golf course

By Emma Booth Published 19 June 24

Given an opportunity, our Golf Monthly contributors and experienced golfers give us an insight into how they would change their golf journey

By Carly Frost Published 18 June 24

Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins competed in a FlingGolf event. Here's her thoughts on the hype surrounding the newest sport to hit the fairways

By Katie Dawkins Published 17 June 24

Some of the world's best players will be competing in the innovative Aramco Team Series presented by PIF at the Centurion Club from Wednesday 3rd July to Friday 5th July 2024

By Elliott Heath Published 17 June 24

The breakout star of 2023 discusses the adjustments she's had to make ahead of her LPGA Tour comeback

By Alison Root Published 12 June 24

• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Accessibility statement
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Golf Monthly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

• Tickets & Hospitality

Haven't got an account? Register now

Accepting all cookies will ensure you have the best experience possible when visiting TheOpen.com.

Some of these cookies are necessary to make our site work, while others help us to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.

• Turned Pro 2007
• AIG WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPION 2022

Ashleigh Buhai

Ashleigh Buhai captured the AIG Women's Open title in 2022 after defeating In Gee Chun in an epic four-hole play-off.

The victory came after stunning second and third rounds of 65 and 64 respectively gave Buhai a five-shot lead with one round to play. A difficult 14th hole on Sunday however appeared to put a serious dent in her title hopes, but she recovered admirably to set-up a play-off and eventually outlast Chun.

It was Buhai's first major title, and she became just the second-ever South African winner of the AIG Women's Open, following Alison Sheard 's victory in 1979.

Buhai said: "It's been a long journey. I turned pro when I was 18, there were a lot of things expected of me. I won straight off the bat on the Ladies European Tour. But this game has a way of giving you a hard time.

"I'm just so proud of how I've stuck it out. I have said the last four or five years, I've finally started to find my feet on the LPGA and felt I could compete, and although I'm 33 now, I feel I'm playing the best golf of my career."

Buhai won the Australian Open in December 2022 and followed that up with victory in the South African Open in March 2023, posting an impressive score of 22-under-par. She won for the first time in the US in June 2023 by edging out Hyo Jon Kim in the Shoprite LPGA Classic and rounded off an impressive year by retaining the Australian Open in December 2023.

When a then-18-year-old Buhai won the Catalonia Ladies Masters in 2007 – her third event as a professional – she became the youngest-ever professional winner on the Ladies European Tour.

Rocket Mortgage Classic

Detroit Golf Club

America’s 100 Greatest Holes

AIG Women's Open

An out-of-nowhere win that nearly became a devastating loss leaves Ashleigh Buhai feeling joy and relief

GULLANE, Scotland — It’s a fact of golf life. There have always been major championships where the runner-up rather than the winner is the story. Doug Sanders missing from three feet to win the 1970 Open at St. Andrews is one example. Nick Price’s sad deterioration over the last six holes at Royal Troon to lose the 1982 Open is another. A dozen shots clear during the third round of the 1990 U.S. Women’s Open at the Atlanta Athletic Club, Patty Sheehan somehow contrived to lose by one. And no one who saw the triple bogey Jean Van de Velde made on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie in 1999 will ever forget that he did not win that Open.

There are others, but you get the picture.

Happily—at least for her—Ashleigh Buhai has avoided adding her name to that list. But only just.

MORE: Here's the prize money payout for each golfer at Muirfield

The AIG Women’s Open record book will tell us that the 33-year-old South African shot a closing round of 75 at Muirfield to tie In Gee Chun on 10-under 274, then made a par at the fourth extra hole to deny the South Korean what would have been a career Grand Slam.

But that rather pedestrian description doesn’t begin to tell the tale that has to be told. Or the one that was nearly told. With four holes to play, all seemed to be proceeding to the plan just about everyone had in place. Armed with a five-shot overnight lead, Buhai wasn’t exactly burning up the course as she had en route to 64 on Saturday. But she was doing enough. Still three shots clear, she appeared to have things well in hand.

Then she didn’t.

Off the 15th tee, the South African made the error you just can’t make at Muirfield—home of 147 bunkers, most of them deep. After blasting out into heavy rough with her second shot, Buhai mucked about for three more shots before finally making the putting surface on the par 4. It all added up to a triple-bogey 7 and the complete disappearance of the aforementioned lead.

It didn’t get much better either. Not immediately. After Chun had failed to make birdie at the downwind 17th, Buhai did the same, missing from four feet or so. Two pars later we had our playoff, one that would only just beat the rapidly descending darkness and spare the championship organizers, the R&A, much embarrassment.

Chun, just a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, did already have three major titles to her credit and was looking to close out a career Grand Slam at Muirfield.

Octavio Passos

In the end, those bunkers decided things. Chun drove into sand on the now more than familiar 18th hole and was always making bogey; Buhai got up-and-down from the “island” bunker right of the green for par to secure the biggest victory of her career.

“I can’t really put this into words,” Buhai said. “This is the result of many years of hard work. And I’m sure there are many people in South Africa right now with more grey hairs after watching me on that 15th hole. I love this course though. It’s a true test. My caddie, Tanya, gave me the confidence for the bunker shot on the last hole. She told me to show everyone why I’m No. 1 in bunkers. And now I'm a major champion. It’s life-changing.”

MORE: How an LPGA major winner packs when she travels

Still, for all her heroics, Buhai must go down as something of an unlikely champion, albeit there were more than high hopes for her as a teenager. Winner of her national Open at the age of only 14, one of four professional events the Johannesburg-native would win as an amateur, she was seen as the classic “can’t miss kid.” For long enough though, things didn’t quite work out as widely predicted. Before this week in what is now a 15-year professional career Buhai had just three Ladies European Tour wins to her name and only one top-10 finish (alongside 20 missed cuts) in 42 major championship starts, a T-5 in the Women’s Open Championship at Woburn three years ago.

This season too, Buhai had been struggling more than prospering. Prior to arriving at Muirfield for a 15th attempt to win the AIG Women’s Open, Buhai had played well enough to finish in the top 10 only twice in 15 LPGA Tour starts. Seven times she failed to qualify for the weekend, most recently one week earlier at the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open. A lowly 84th on the Rolex World Rankings, she was a relatively unheralded 50th on the LPGA’s Race to CME Globe points list.

OK, enough.

Buhai's husband, David, who caddies for LPGA pro Jeongeun Lee 6, embraces the South African after she closes out the victory on the fourth extra hole.

Charlie Crowhurst

Things are different now, of course. Today, Buhai is the AIG Women’s Open champion, a first-time winner on the LPGA Tour and $1,095,000 richer after she followed her compatriots, Open champions Gary Player and Ernie Els, in claiming a major title over the peerless East Lothian links. She is also the first female South African to win a major since Sally Little claimed the LPGA Championship in 1980, nine years before Buhai was born.

That’s a lot to take in. But four months into her work with a sports psychologist, Buhai stayed calm, even on the walk between 15th green and 16th tee.

“I wasn’t thinking of too much there, to be honest,” she said. “The drive on 15 was probably the worst swing I made all week. But it doesn’t often happened that a ball pulls in a bunker off a drive. Then I compounded the mistake. But I didn’t panic, which was huge. It would have been easy to pain and come home in an ambulance. I just tried to keep making good swings. Which I did in the play-off. I’m proud of the fact that I hit that fairway every time.”

Indeed, on what at first appeared to be her metronomic way to victory, the smoothness of Buhai’s technique (with one notable exception) was the most striking feature of her victory. Only once on that almost fateful 15th tee did she succumb to the fault strong wind most commonly causes—the shorter than normal backswing that leads to a loss of timing and less than satisfactory impact conditions.

“I have a couple of different thoughts,” she explained. “I’ve kind of got it down to where if I swing 40 percent up and I lock it in at the top, then my tempo is good. Or I count 'one, two, three.’ All I'm trying to do is remind myself on every shot, ‘40 percent up, 40 percent up.’ That's my only focus. After that, wherever the ball goes, it goes.”

And this week, that was nearly always where she meant it to go.

• Summer Racing ExternalLink
• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School
• Shop ExternalLink
• PBR ExternalLink
• 3ICE ExternalLink
• Stubhub ExternalLink
• Play Golf ExternalLink

Ashleigh Buhai captures emotional first major victory at 2022 AIG Women's Open after four-hole playoff

After a near-disastrous triple bogey late in her round, buhai responded like a champion late.

Ashleigh Buhai had waited until 33 years of age for her first major championship win, so four more holes was nothing. After shooting 75 in the final round of the first Women's Open at Muirfield to kick away a five-stroke lead, Buhai outlasted In Gee Chun in a playoff that lasted over an hour as the sun set on East Lothian, as well as the men's and women's major championship season.

Buhai is a Cinderella story in Wikipedia page only. The South African came into the week with a dearth of major top 10s (her only one came at the 2019 Women's Open at Woburn), but she was also ranked No. 84 in the world and had notched top 25s at the last two women's majors at the Women's PGA Championship and the Evian Championship.

She came out rolling the first three days at Muirfield. A 70 in Round 1 was followed by rounds of 65 and 64 that included 13 birdies, an eagle and just two bogeys to put her five clear of Chun as well as playing partner Hinako Shibuno going into the finale on Sunday to touch off an historic week at Muirfield.

After playing the first 14 holes of the final round in a sufficient 1 over, Muirfield wrought disaster at the par-4 15th. Buhai hit her tee shot into a bunker, and it got much worse from there. A sideways second preceded a duffed third. She made a triple-bogey 7 to fall into a tie for second with Chun, who was one hole ahead. They both parred the last three holes to go to a playoff.

For somebody like Buhai, who was playing in her 43rd career major championship, this can often become disastrous. The world starts spinning, the shots start racing and what 10 minutes ago felt like total control now feels like an 18-wheeler on ice heading downhill.

She put both hands on the steering wheel, though, and got the championship back in her grasp. It's the sign of a mature player -- Buhai has been on the LPGA Tour off and on since 2008 and was once the youngest winner in Ladies European Tour history -- but it's also the sign of a champion, which Buhai has become.

There were wobbly moments in the playoff as well. Both players grinded through drops in temperature, poor second shots and spine-tingling putts to extend one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Buhai and Chun played the first three playoff holes -- all the 18th at Muirfield -- in 13 strokes. Par-bogey-par. Then they went to that tee for a fourth and -- because of the fading sun and lack of light, likely -- final time for the evening no matter the outcome.

Chun opened the door by driving her ball in a bunker, but Buhai blocked her approach into a bunker that screamed "5." Instead, she hit the shot of her life and Chun left a miracle par bid short. Buhai poured in a short one to give her the championship that could have slid through her fingers so many times over the previous several hours.

Look at what it means! An incredible up and down seals victory for Ashleigh Buhai #AIGWO pic.twitter.com/Qd2j59891Q — AIG Women’s Open (@AIGWomensOpen) August 7, 2022

Buhai joined fellow South Africans Gary Player (1959) and Ernie Els (2002) as champions at Muirfield.

"It's so difficult to put into words now, I think it might only hit me in a few days," she said through tears afterwards. "Obviously I'm very proud. We're a very small country, so to be able to produce quite a few major champions, it's quite something. For me to be a female South African and a major winner, I've got no words. It's life changing."

It was an emotional win for her, for very obvious reasons, but it was also emotionally compelling victory to watch for less obvious ones.

All major wins -- on both the men's and women's side -- are life-changing, but not all are equally life-changing. And for Buhai, a career grinder who hasn't won very often at the highest level in the world, this one was a revelation. She gripped the front of her cap and pulled it over her eyes, the reality of what she had undoubtedly always envisioned too much for her to bear in the moment. A beautiful result to a long summer and an even lengthier career.

Kyle Porter and Mark Immleman discuss Ashleigh Buhai's victory at the AIG Women's Open. Follow & listen to The First Cut on  Apple Podcasts  and  Spotify .

It's a marvelous curiosity to watch golfers try and comprehend or contextualize what they've just accomplished seconds after it happens. This takes place all the time all over the golf world, but it rarely happens at this level with this much at stake. Buhai -- because of her week and because of a long (but not illustrious) career and because of the way she revived herself after what could have been a nightmare on No. 15 and because of Muirfield -- more than anyone else in the 2022 major season had both the past and the future written all over her face. All at the same time and all in the present. What a wonderful thing to watch.

Our Latest Golf Stories

2024 John Deere Classic odds, picks, predictions

Cbs sports staff • 3 min read.

2024 John Deere Classic odds, expert picks, bets

Cbs sports staff • 4 min read.

Justin Rose headlines qualifiers for Open at Troon

Kyle porter • 1 min read.

2024 John Deere Classic expert picks, preview

Patrick mcdonald • 5 min read.

DeChameau, not Scheffler, having best major season

Kyle porter • 4 min read.

2024 John Deere Classic One and Done expert picks

Share video.

Buhai grabs emotional first major win at Muirfield

DeChambeau, not Scheffler, having best major season

John Deere Classic expert picks

Bhatia's continued rising stardom

Power 18: Bryson holds, Finau surges

Justin Rose headlines qualifiers for 2024 Open

Korda withdraws from England event after dog bite

Is Scottie in 2024 actually rivaling Tiger in 2000?

Seth Waugh stepping down as PGA of America CEO

Open Championship odds: Scheffler a big favorite

We use our own and third-party cookies to deliver content to you throughout your experience online. It is possible that some cookies may continue to collect information after you've left our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more here .

Ok, Got it!

Ladies European Tour

Latest  >  buhai five shots clear at aig women’s open, aug 7th, 2022, buhai five shots clear at aig women’s open, south african shoots lowest round of the week to take control, photography: r&a  .

TAGS: Ladies European Tour , AIG Women's Open , Ashleigh Buhai, In Gee Chun , Madelene Sagstrom, Hinako Shibuno, 2022

And another thing....

Homa holds off Bradley for Wells Fargo win

American secures his second win of the season in maryland.

Ashleigh Buhai - Winning with friends and family here is very cool

ISPS HANDA Australian Open - Adrian Meronk | Round 4

Adrian Meronk - I’m super proud of myself, proud of my team and super happy right now

Adrian Meronk - Round 4 Hole 15

Meronk - Round 4 Hole 18

Pierre Pineau - Round 4 Hole 15

Adrian Meronk - Round 4 Hole 2

Adam Scott - Round 4 Hole 5

ISPS HANDA Australian Open - Adam Scott | Round Three

Adam Scott - I played really good today

Adam Scott - Round 3 Hole 18

Adrian Meronk - I played really solid golf, it was a lot of fun

Adam Scott - Round 3 Hole 12

DP World Tour Partners

• Shots and Stats

Road to Lancaster

S-9: Winner of 2022 AIG Women's British Open S-10: Top 30 points leader in 2023 LPGA Race to the CME Globe S-17:  Top 75 points leaders in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings as of April 3

The native of Johannesburg, South Africa, owns 21 worldwide professional victories, but her first on the LPGA Tour came in the 2022 AIG Women's British Open at Muirfield. She followed that up with a win at the ShopRite Classic in Galloway, N.J. She also owns five victories on the Ladies European Tour, including the 2023 Investec South African Women's Open. It was her fourth victory in the event, but two were not sanctioned by the LET. Twelve of her professional wins have come on the Sunshine Ladies Tour. As an amateur, Buhai represented South Africa in a pair of Women’s World Amateur Team Championships (2004, 2006). This will be her 10th U.S. Women's Open start.

U.S. Women's Open Results

Lancaster Country Club

74-73-71-75--293

Pebble Beach Golf Links

75-75-72-80--302

The Olympic Club (Lake Course)

Champions Golf Club

71-69-79-73—292

Country Club of Charleston

74-71-72-74—291

Shoal Creek

73-71-76-80—300

Trump National Golf Club (Old Course)

70-72-76-71—289

Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2)

Interlachen Country Club

• Copy link Link Copied

Latest Videos

Oops! Something went wrong

Quick Reads

USGA Partners

• Privacy Policy
• About Our Ads
• Cookie Settings
• Terms Of Use
• Accessibility

GET ALL OF USGA

Continuous updates, streaming, tee times, scoring, and much more.

© 2023 United States Golf Association. All Rights Reserved.

• Bridgestone
• Scotty Cameron
• United States
• Women’s Rolex Standings
• DP World Tour
• Ladies European Tour
• The Masters
• USPGA Championship
• Open Championship
• Solheim Cup
• Presidents Cup
• What’s In The Bag

Ashleigh Buhai: What’s In The Bag

• by James Matthews
• December 4, 2023 December 4, 2023

Ashleigh Buhai landed her third win of 2023 when defending her title in the Australian Women’s Open in December 2023. A look at Ashleigh Buhai : What’s In The Bag.

Buhai recorded her fourth victory in her home open in March, having also won the South African Women’s Open in 2004 and 2007 in her maiden name Ashleigh Simon as well as 2018 and 2023 as Buhai.

The South African then added an LPGA Tour victory to her CV with a one shot victory of Hyo-Joo Kim in the ShopRite LPGA Classic .

And a dream run continued when he claimed a second successive Australian Open title to December as she defeated home favourite Minjee Lee by one shot in Sydney.

Back-to-back 👏 @ash_simon is your 2023 @ISPSHanda #AusOpenGolf Champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wAxtHB3oxl — Australian Open (@AusOpenGolf) December 3, 2023

The three wins in 2023 continued a strong run of form for Buhai, who also won twice in 2022 including her first major with success in the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield in Scotland and the Australian Open.

Buhai now has five Ladies European Tour titles having also won the 2007 Catalonia Ladies Masters, 2011 ISPS Handa Portugal Ladies Open and 2018 Investec South African Women’s Open.

The South African’s other wins throughout an illustrious career have been Chase to Investec Cup Glendower, Ladies Tshwane Open and Chase to Investec Cup Blue Valley in 2014 and the 2015 Sunshine Ladies Tour Open.

She also won the Cape Town Ladies Open, Sun International Ladies Challenge and Investec Royal Swazi in 2017, the Joburg Ladies Open in 2018, the Canon Sunshine Ladies Tour Open in 2019 and the Jabra Ladies Classic in 2020.

Prior to the win in the Australian Open, Buhai was ranked 26th in the Rolex Rankings .

What’s In The Bag Ashleigh Buhai (at the Australian Women’s Open in December 2023)

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (9 degrees) ( Read the Review )

Woods: Srixon ZX (3-wood, 15 degrees & 5-wood 18 degrees) ( Read the Review ) & Ping G425 (7-wood, 20.5 degrees) ( Read the Review )

Hybrids: Srixon Z H85 (20.5 degrees)

Irons: Srixon ZX5 (6-iron) ( Read the Review ) & Srixon ZX7 (7-iron to Pitching Wedge) ( Read the Review )

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50 degrees, 54 degrees & 60 degrees) ( Read the Review )

Putter: Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K Two ( Read the Review )

Ball: Srixon Z-Star ( R ea d the Review )

What’s In The Bag Ashleigh Buhai (at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Open in June 2023)

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (9 degrees)

Woods: Srixon ZX (3-wood, 15 degrees & 5-wood 18 degrees) & Ping G425 (7-wood, 20.5 degrees)

Irons: Srixon ZX5 (6-iron) & Srixon ZX7 (7-iron to Pitching Wedge)

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50 degrees, 54 degrees & 60 degrees)

Putter: Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K Two

Ball: Srixon Z-Star

What’s In The Bag Ashleigh Buhai (at the South African Women’s Open in March 2023)

What’s in the bag ashleigh buhai (at the australian open in december 2022).

Driver: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond (9 degrees) ( Read the Review )

What’s In The Bag Ashleigh Buhai (at the AIG Women’s Open in August 2022)

Driver: Callaway Epic Speed (10.5 degrees)

Woods: Ping G425 (3-wood, 14.5 degrees)

Hybrids: Srixon Z H85

Irons: Srixon ZX7 (5-iron to Pitching Wedge)

Putter: Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K One ( Read the Review )

James is an avid golfer and reviews golf equipment and new gear for GolfReviewsGuide.com as well as providing the latest golf news. You will find him on a golf course wherever possible.

Latest Golf Reviews

Get our latest reviews, news and buying guides direct to your inbox.

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Ashleigh Buhai wins Women’s British Open after playoff

South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai poses for the media holding the trophy after winning the Women’s British Open golf championship, during the presentation ceremony in Muirfield, Scotland, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai plays her tee shot from the 13th during the final round of the Women’s British Open golf championship, in Muirfield, Scotland Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

South Afica’s Ashleigh Buhai reacts after winning the match on the 18th green during the final round of the Women’s British Open golf championship, in Muirfield, Scotland Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai plays her 2nd shot on the 2nd fairway during the final round of the Women’s British Open golf championship, in Muirfield, Scotland Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

South Korea’s In Gee chun play her shoton to the 12th green during the final round of the Women’s British Open golf championship, in Muirfield, Scotland Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

South Korea’s In Gee chun plays her tee shot from the 13th during the final round of the Women’s British Open golf championship, in Muirfield, Scotland Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

South Korea’s In Gee chun plays her 2nd shot on the 2nd fairway during the final round of the Women’s British Open golf championship, in Muirfield, Scotland Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

• Copy Link copied

MUIRFIELD, Scotland (AP) — After seeing a five-shot lead slip away in the final round, Ashleigh Buhai still managed to secure a first major title at the Women’s British Open.

Buhai kept her composure to beat In Gee Chun — and the setting sun — in a playoff at Muirfield on Sunday for her first career victory in an LPGA Tour event.

With the light fading, the South African golfer made a superb bunker shot on the fourth playoff hole to leave herself with a short par putt, while Chun settled for a bogey.

The 33-year-old Buhai calmly rolled in from less than three feet and then clutched her face in relief, before being drenched in water and other beverages by her entourage.

“I was surprisingly calm,” Buhai said about the clutch bunker shot that secured the victory. “My caddie said to me on the last one, I don’t want to brag, but she said ‘Show them why you’re No. 1 in bunkers this year.’ So, you know, she gave me the confidence. Maybe it’s got something to do with Muirfield and South Africans and bunker shots.”

Ernie Els also won the men’s British Open in a playoff at Muirfield in 2002 after a memorable bunker shot during the final round. This was the first time the Women’s British Open was played at Muirfield, a club that didn’t even allow female members until 2019 following a vote two years earlier.

Buhai made things a lot more difficult than they had to be, though.

She entered the final round with a commanding five-shot lead and was still three strokes ahead before a triple bogey on the par-4 15th that put her level with Chun.

Both players missed long birdie putts on the 18th as they settled for a playoff after finishing on 10-under 274.

“I know there are a lot of people in South Africa with lots of gray hairs right now after that 15th hole,” Buhai said. “But I’m very proud of myself, the way I dug deep and kept myself in it to get into that playoff.”

Buhai shot a 4-over 75 in the final round, while Chun carded a 70.

Hinako Shibuno of Japan, the 2019 champion, finished one shot back in third after missing a chip from just off the green that would have made it a three-way playoff.

Chun was in trouble on the first two playoff holes, but her short game bailed her out both times.

On the first, Chun sent her second shot into a bunker while Buhai found the heart of the green. But the South Korean hit a near-perfect bunker shot to within a few feet of the hole to salvage the par.

On the second, she needed to make an 8-foot bogey putt to stay in it after sending her second shot wide and then barely making it onto the green with a chip from the tall grass.

Buhai nearly won it on the third playoff hole, but her long putt for the win pulled up a few inches away from the hole.

For Buhai, the win more than made up for a near-miss at that 2019 Women’s British Open, when she led the event at the halfway stage at Woburn but finished fifth.

“Forgive me, there will be a few tears,” Buhai said during the trophy presentation. “Obviously there’s a lot of hard work and many years of dedication going into this.”

More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

New Jersey, Ashleigh Buhai defends her title

R oberta Liti and Benedetta Moresco are among the 144 competitors participating in the ShopRite LPGA Classic, an event on the LPGA Tour scheduled from June 7th to 9th at the Seaview Golf Club (Bay Course) in Galloway, New Jersey.

ShopRite LPGA Classic, results

In a tournament with many top players absent, defending champion Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa will look to retain her title. However, much attention will be on the three players within the top ten of the Rolex Ranking: Filipina-turned-Japanese Yuka Saso (ranked 6th), who recently won her second US Women's Open and also claimed the Major in 2021, Australian Hannah Green (ranked 5th), and Korean Jin Young Ko (ranked 7th).

Despite the absence of some big names, there are several promising players in the field who are expected to provide excitement. These include Americans Angel Yin, Megan Khang, Lizette Salas, Alexa Pano, Danielle Kang, Mexican Gaby Lopez, Thais Atthaya Thitikul and Jasmine Suwannapura, Chinese Xiaowen Yin, Japanese Ayaka Furue and Nasa Hataoka, and Frenchwoman Perrine Delacour, fresh off her victory at the Dormy Open Helsingborg in Sweden, an event on the Ladies European Tour.

Among the past winners in the field, aside from Buhai, are Canadian Brooke M. Henderson (2022), Korean In Kyung Kim (2017), Australian Karrie Webb (2013), Brittany Lincicome (2011), and two-time winners Stacy Lewis (2012, 2014) and Swedish Anna Nordqvist (consecutive wins in 2015 and 2016).

Roberta Liti seeks redemption after missing the cut in her last outing (Mizuho Americas Open), although she has finished in the money five out of seven times previously. Benedetta Moresco, who also competes on the Epson Tour, is making her second appearance of the season on the major circuit.

Galloway is a township located in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. It is situated in the southeastern part of the state, near the Jersey Shore. The township covers a diverse area that includes suburban neighborhoods, rural areas, and portions of the Pine Barrens.

Galloway is known for its natural beauty, with abundant forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats. It offers outdoor recreational opportunities such as hiking, fishing, and birdwatching. The town is also home to several golf courses, including the Seaview Golf Club, which hosts professional golf tournaments like the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Like our content? Follow Tennis World USA on MSN.

The Post New Jersey, Ashleigh Buhai defends her title appeared first on Tennis World USA

• Related: St. Andrews Links Trophy, big event in Scotland

• LPGA Newsletters
• LPGA Travel
• Women's Network
• LPGA Professionals
• Members Only
• Lesson Zone
• Membership Information
• Find A Teacher
• Professionals Job Board
• Events Calendar
• LPGA Amateurs
• Become A Member
• Member Login
• LPGA Foundation
• LEADERBOARD
• Changing The Face of Golf
• C-Me Action Plan
• Diversity Policy
• Diverse Supplier Opportunity
• Celebrating the Green
• All Access Series
• Instruction
• Live Stream
• Award Winners
• Hall of Fame
• ROLEX FIRST TIME WINNERS
• ROLEX ANNIKA MAJOR AWARD
• 2024 Player Priority List (PDF)
• TOURNAMENTS
• Download Schedule
• Completed Tournaments
• Drive On Championship
• Solheim Cup
• 2024 Olympics
• CME Group Tour Championship
• QUALIFYING SERIES (Q-SCHOOL)
• LPGA Local Qualifying Rounds
• Hilton Grand Vacations TOC
• LPGA Senior Championship
• Print Schedule
• RACE TO CME GLOBE
• Season Standings
• Past Winners
• Explanation and Points Breakdown
• Projected Points Standing
• CME Group Cares Challenge - Score 1 for St. Jude
• Aon Risk Reward Challenge
• KPMG Performance Insights

2024 Paris Olympics: Meet the 60 Qualifiers for the Women's Golf Competition in France

Lpga professional ann bloomfield leading by example in life and golf.

The qualification period for the women’s golf competition has concluded and the International Golf Federation has announced the 60 qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Two countries will have three representatives at Le Golf National, as Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang will compete for the United States and Jin Young Ko, Amy Yang and Hyo Joo Kim are slated to play for the Republic of Korea. Yang claimed a last-minute spot in the field after winning her first career major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the final qualifying event for the women’s competition.

Over 20 athletes will make their Olympic debuts, including Swedes Maja Stark and Linn Grant, and 15 players will be teeing it up in their third straight Games, most notably two-time medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Canadian Brooke Henderson and Australia’s Minjee Lee.

Other notable qualifiers are Colombian Mariajo Uribe, who has announced that the 2024 Paris Olympics will be her last event as a professional golfer, and Yuka Saso, who, after representing the Philippines at the 2020 Tokyo Games, will compete for Japan for the first time in Paris. Saso earned her second Olympic berth by winning the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally at Lancaster Country Club. Ladies European Tour winner Shannon Tan will make her Olympic debut, marking the first time ever that an athlete from Singapore has participated in the women's or men's Olympic golf competition.

Take a look at all 60 of the 2024 Olympic qualifiers:

• United States: Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang
• Republic of Korea: Jin Young Ko, Amy Yang, Hyo Joo Kim
• People’s Republic of China: Ruoning Yin, Xiyu Lin
• France: Celine Boutier, Perrine Delacour
• Australia: Hannah Green, Minjee Lee
• Great Britain: Charley Hull, Georgia Hall
• Japan: Yuka Saso, Miyu Yamashita
• Thailand: Atthaya Thitikul, Patty Tavatanakit
• Canada: Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp
• New Zealand: Lydia Ko, Momoka Kobori
• Sweden: Maja Stark, Linn Grant
• Spain: Carlota Ciganda, Azahara Munoz
• Ireland: Leona Maguire, Stephanie Meadow
• South Africa: Ashleigh Buhai, Paula Reto
• India: Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar
• Mexico: Gaby Lopez, Maria Fassi
• Germany: Esther Henseleit, Alexandra Forsterling
• Switzerland: Albane Valenzuela, Morgane Metraux
• Denmark: Emily Kristine Pedersen, Nanna Koerstz Madsen
• Chinese Taipei: Peiyun Chien, Wei-Ling Hsu
• Netherlands: Anne van Dam, Dewi Weber
• Philippines: Bianca Pagdanganan, Dottie Ardina
• Belgium: Manon De Roey
• Austria: Emma Spitz
• Singapore: Shannon Tan
• Norway: Celine Borge, Madelene Stavnar
• Czech Republic: Klara Davidson Spilkova, Sara Kouskova
• Colombia: Mariajo Uribe
• Italy: Alessandra Fanali
• Malaysia: Ashley Lau
• Finland: Ursula Wikstrom, Noora Komulainen
• Slovenia: Ana Belac
• Morocco: Ines Laklalech

Related Articles

Five-Time LPGA Tour Winner Lilia Vu Clinches Spot on US Solheim Cup Team

Dana Open Announces “Lexi Thompson Day” on Friday, July 19th

Jin and Ronic Win Dow Championship in First Appearance as Teammates

• Charitable Solicitation Disclosures
• Corporate Sponsors
• LPGA History
• LPGA International
• Sponsorship Opportunities
• Legends of the LPGA

Fan Feature

• LPGA Women's Network
• ADA Act Request
• Anti-Doping Information
• Feedback Form
• Gender Policy
• Integrity Program Information
• Media - Press Site
• Player Login
• Privacy Policy
• Professionals Member Login
• Terms and Conditions
• Ticket Terms and Conditions

Global Tour

• International TV Distribution

Mobile Apps

• Android App
• Top Stories