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The 23-year-old had finished the regulation four rounds on five under par for the tournament, with Germany\u2019s Henseleit nailing a brilliant long putt on the 18th hole to force the playoff.<\/p>\n
However, the 27-year old\u2019s dream would come unstuck after an unlucky moment on the second extra hole.<\/p>\n
A skewed drive ricocheted off the foot of a course marshall before rebounding into a nearby gorse bush.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh no, it\u2019s come off a spectator and into the gorse, via foot!\u201d commentator Andrew Cotter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing that can be done, it\u2019s just cruel fortune.\u201d<\/p>\n
A brutal moment cost Esther Henseleit (R) in the women’s British Open playoff.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Henseleit did recover, but her bogey wouldn\u2019t be enough, Kuwaki making birdie to seal the triumph.<\/p>\n
\u201cMust have gotten some kind of bad bounce,\u201d the German said afterwards. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt least I still had a shot, I guess, and could kind of get a good angle going into the green and didn\u2019t have to take an unplayable or something.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, yeah, probably a bit unlucky there. That\u2019s just links golf.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pulsating finale provided a fitting climax on the 50th anniversary of the event as the Japanese rising star announced her arrival.<\/p>\n
Kuwaki banked a tournament record $1.5 million in prize money, but finally getting her hands on a major trophy was worth far more than any amount of cash.<\/p>\n
She is the second successive Japanese player to win the women\u2019s British Open after Miyu Yamashita\u2019s triumph at Porthcawl last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just can\u2019t believe it. To be on a stage like this is an honour and every hole I was just focused on shot by shot. I just tried to enjoy it as much as I could,\u201d said Kuwaki, who is the fourth Japanese woman to win the British Open after Yamashita, Ayako Okamoto and Hinako Shibuno.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an amazing feeling to win again as a Japanese player. I hope as team Japan we can continue to light up the golf world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shiho Kuwaki celebrates after winning the Women’s British Open. (AP Photo\/Jon Super)Source: AP<\/p>\n
Referencing the death of at least 36 people in her homeland, she added: \u201cRecently we had an earthquake in Japan and I\u2019d like to wish people a speedy recovery and best wishes.\u201d It was an unexpected breakthrough for Kuwaki, whose previous best finish at a major came in this year\u2019s women\u2019s US Open when she tied for 14th place.<\/p>\n
She turned professional in 2021 and won the Japan LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup in 2024.<\/p>\n
Known for her exuberant fashion sense, Kuwaki was dressed in a mint green top and used a luminous green ball — an eye-catching statement that she backed up with her sensational performance.<\/p>\n
She missed the halfway cut on her only previous appearance at the women\u2019s British Open last year, but her return to the UK proved a transformative trip.<\/p>\n
Overnight leader Yealimi Noh wasted a three-shot lead as she ended in third place on four under par.<\/p>\n