South Africa’s Buhai captures LPGA Classic title for fourth win in 10 months
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa chips onto the 18th green during the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
PHOTO: AFP
NEW YORK – South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai, the Women’s British Open champion, fired her second consecutive six-under 65 on Sunday to win the LPGA Classic by one stroke.
Buhai, who began the day three off the pace, finished on 14-under 199 at Seaview in Galloway, New Jersey, to edge out Kim Hyo-joo (68). The South Korean needed an eagle at the par-five 18th to force a play-off but her pitch stopped inches from the hole.
“At no point did I think it was mine until it was really confirmed,” said Buhai, 34. “I did really well to stay mentally in it, stuck to my processes.
“I didn’t get ahead of myself and think of the outcome at all. I just trusted the one thing I was trying to do in my golf swing and hopefully that could take care of it.”
While it was Buhai’s first LPGA triumph on US soil, it was her fourth worldwide in the past 10 months, after March’s South African Women’s Open, last December’s Women’s Australian Open and her major breakthrough last August at Muirfield in Scotland.
“It’s definitely the best golf I’ve ever played in my career,” Buhai said. “Experience only comes from experience... Every time you get a little more comfortable.”
China’s Liu Yan (67) was third on 202, with Sweden’s Daniela Holmqvist (72) and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (65) sharing fourth on 203.
Holmqvist began the day with a one-stroke lead over Kim but struggled with three bogeys and three birdies on the front nine. That opened the door for Buhai, who birdied four of the first five holes to leap into the lead.
After sinking a 10-foot birdie putt on the first hole, Buhai dropped her approaches inches from the hole to set up tap-in birdies at the second and fourth holes, then made a long putt from just off the fifth green.
“I got off to such a good start and that putt on five was a ‘Hallelujah’ and I was like, ‘Those things need to happen for you to win’,” she said.
Buhai birdied the eighth after another great approach and reached the turn with a two-stroke lead. But she stumbled with a bogey at the par-three 11th and Kim pulled level at 12 under with a birdie on the par-four 10th.
Buhai answered with a birdie at the 13th and Kim three-putted for bogey on No. 12 for her rival to restore a two-shot edge.
Kim birdied the par-three 17th to pull within one of Buhai, who pitched to three feet at the 18th and tapped in for birdie and a two-stroke lead. Buhai clinched victory when Kim’s pitch stopped inches left of the final hole.
Many of the LPGA’s top players will tee off again in New Jersey on June 22 at the next women’s Major, the Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol. AFP
