Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki won the AIG Women’s Open – becoming the first major winner to play with a yellow golf ball.
Shiho Kuwaki had only played in one Women’s Open before pitching up at Royal Lytham. The stylish Japanese player had never even had a top-ten finish in a major. Now, after a chaotic, enthralling Sunday on the Lancashire links, she is the Women’s Open champion.
Kuwaki outfought the impressive Esther Henseleit, who drained a monster putt to force a dramatic playoff on the 72nd hole. It looked like Henseleit was heading for her maiden major when Kuwaki erred left off the tee on the first playoff hole. After an epic finish in regulation play, the German was in the middle of the fairway and surely her name was on the trophy. But the Japanese star conjured a brilliant par to prolong the tension for a while longer.
Henseleit had a hideous piece of misfortune on the second playoff hole when her drive struck a marshal’s leg and crawled into the gorse bushes. She managed a gallant bogey five, but Kuwaki’s composed four in front of a healthy contingent of Japanese fans was enough for major glory.
“I just can’t believe it,” Kuwaki beamed afterwards. “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.
“Thank you to all the fans. I’d like to thank my family and my team. Recently we had an earthquake in Japan and I’d like to wish people a speedy recovery and best wishes.”
Yealimi Noh had started Sunday with a three-shot lead at Lytham. The unheralded American had already entered uncharted territory on Thursday by breaking par. Noh’s opening 67 marked the first time since April she had scored in the red in competition. But late into Sunday afternoon, Noh faltered as the title got nearer. Lytham’s cavernous bunkers were swallowing up Noh’s balls at an alarming rate. She lost the initiative with five bogeys and despite briefly regaining the lead, could not salvage the birdie she required on the final four holes to gatecrash the playoff.
Like Noh, Kuwaki was an unheralded contender. She turned pro five years ago but was from a superstar heading into this week. She mainly operates on the LPGA of Japan Tour and had two wins on that circuit this season. Now she has entered a different stratosphere.
Kuwaki, though, has never been missable on the golf course. She stands out not only for her flamboyant style of clothing, but also her yellow golf ball. On tour, she’s known as the “Yellow Baller”.
“I’ve been using a yellow golf ball pretty much since I started,” she told TG through a translator. “That’s because it makes it easier to see on the golf course.”
Kuwaki is the third Japanese winner in the past eight editions of the Women’s Open and the second in successive years after Miyu Yamashita. There is a love affair with their players and the nuances of these unpredictable links.
And there could have been few more colorful winners than Kuwaki, The Yellow Baller at Lytham.
“I love to drink alcohol and have fun,” she laughed in her press conference, “and I intend to drink a lot tonight!”