Atthaya Thitikul – winner of the LET Thailand Championship in June.
Picture by TRISTAN JONES

Thitikul, the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific champion, was one of two amateurs to make the cut at the year’s final major.

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TWENTY-year-old Hinako Shibuno from Japan will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the AIG Women’s British Open after a brilliant back nine at Woburn, on Saturday.

In front of 14,000-strong crowds lining the Marquess’ course, Shibuno reached the turn in one over par.

But the Japanese rookie came alive on the way in with six birdies – including consecutive gains at 17 and 18 – setting up a sizzling 67.

That took her to 14-under for the tournament. It was seriously impressive stuff from the Japanese LPGA rookie playing her first tournament outside her native Japan – and her first Major.

South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai led for most of the day but bogeyed the par-four 16th to slip back, and a level par 72 left her on 12-under overall.

Korean Sung Hyun Park (68) is another shot back in third, with American duo Morgan Pressel (66) and Lizette Salas (70) tied fourth alongside Jin Young Ko (68) – winner of last week’s Evian Championship – who is going for back-to-back Majors.

Spaniard Carlota Ciganda was left to rue a double bogey at the 18th which dropped her to nine-under, the same mark as Woburn favourite Charley Hull and Yorkshire’s Bronte Law, who both shot 70.

Shibuno has never played outside Japan before and only left her country for the first time last year when she went to practise in Thailand.

She is known in the Japanese media as the “Smiling Cinderella.”

Shibuno said: “It’s definitely exceeding my expectations. I came here wanting to make the cut, so right now I feel like I’m doing something very incredible.

“It’s more like a Japanese golf course, so maybe that’s why it’s going so well.”

Buhai was philosophical about her round and admitted she often performs better when not leading from the front.

“I hit so many good shots on that front side,” said 30-year-old Buhai. “I only turned in two-under but I had so many chances.

“A few putts were just a bit short and unfortunately on the back side, I just got a little rattled.

“I kind of felt like I just lost a bit of composure in my rhythm a little bit but I hit some good shots on the last two holes.

“A lot of my wins have been come-from-behind. I always feel better chasing. I think I had a four-shot lead at one stage, but I didn’t let that bother me or get to me.

“I think during a four-round tournament, everybody is going to have a little wobble in their round somewhere.”

Buhai leads at halfway mark at Woburn after getting to 12-under

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SOUTH Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai stormed three shots clear at the AIG Women’s British Open with a flawless second round of 67 in front of nearly 16,000 people at Woburn Golf Club.

The first-round leader did not tee off until 2pm, by which time a number of players had overtaken her on the leaderboard, but she held her nerve to post five birdies and reach 12-under for the tournament.

Japan’s Hinako Shibuno was second on nine-under thanks to a 69, with American Lizette Salas another stroke back and Woburn favourite Charley Hull among five players at seven-under after a second-round 70.

Dorset’s defending champion Georgia Hall had a second successive 69 to lie tied ninth.

England’s Charley Hull plays the second shot on the 12th on the second day of the 2019 Women’s British Open golf championship at Woburn Golf Club, in Milton Keynes, north of London, on August 2, 2019. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP) (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Buhai said: “My goal going out was to get to double figures. Once I got it to eight, nine and 10-under, I felt more comfortable and was able to put my foot down.

“I managed to hit it really close on the 15th hole for a tap-in birdie, and had a good shot into 16 and then holed the putt.

“The front nine I was really steady, I didn’t hit many shots close. I birdied my second hole with a good wedge, and hit a few good putts. I’m trying not to keep thinking it’s a Major – it’s just another tournament.”

Shibuno did not have high expectations heading into the tournament but has been pleasantly surprised by her first experience of Woburn, on the Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire border.

Shibuno – known as the “Smiling Cinderella” – said: “I thought the British Open was a links golf course. I knew, but my image was everything links. I just wanted to make the cut, that’s all. I’m a little nervous for the weekend.

Hull, who knows every blade of grass on Woburn’s Marquess Course, surprisingly said: “I started well but couldn’t get the pace of the greens.

“I missed a few putts I should have holed for birdie. I made a couple of bogeys through 13 and 14 where I should have got up and down.

“I holed a few to finish, so ended on a positive. I sometimes like being the underdog.

“When I play Solheim Cup in America and the crowd is cheering against you, I always prefer that. I don’t know why. I’ve just got to stay focused around here.”

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AMERICAN LPGA rookie Cheyenne Knight topped the 11 qualifiers at Ashridge, who will make up the field of this week’s final women’s Major of the seaason at Woburn, starting on Thursday.

The LPGA rookie made light work of her first competitive round on English soil by recording a superb score of 65 to top an international leaderboard, which included four former Solheim Cup players, in the final qualifier at the picturesque Hertfordshire course.

Leading the pack for most of the day, the 22-year-old Texan hit the turn in 32 strokes, which included an eagle at the par-five second hole, before adding further gains at holes 11, 12 and 13 to send her on her way to qualifying for her first Women’s British Open.

“I tried not to look at the leaderboard throughout the round and told myself to go as low as I could,” said Knight who carded an excellent seven-under total.

“Coming off the 15th I was six-under par and I didn’t even look at the leaderboard,” Knight added.

It would prove to be a wise move for Knight, who carded another birdie at the par five 17th to seal a second career Major appearance.

Knight also revealed she had an ace up her sleeve in the form of Ashridge Golf Club assistant professional Stuart Hall, whom she met while practising on Friday evening.

Without a caddie lined up for the qualifier, the pair joined forces to strong effect – and the partnership will continue at Woburn after Hall negotiated holiday leave with his employer to be on the bag at his first Major Championship.

Knight added: “If you qualify with someone, I think it is nice to keep them on the bag because they earned it too. I just hope he can get off his shift this Wednesday.”

Two shots adrift, Germany’s Sandra Gal lived up to her reputation as the most experienced professional in the field by posting a round of 67 to qualify in tied second place.

The former Solheim Cup player and LPGA winner was the star attraction for the spectators at the Hertfordshire venue set in acres of National Trust woodland.

“I had some really good support and actually even had a few people walk my practice round late yesterday afternoon, having flown back from Geneva,” said Gal.

“I even had a few dogs following me too, which was really nice.

“I’ve had a tough year this year but did not put any expectations on myself and from the start of the round, I just said whatever happens will happen.

“You really want to play the AIG Women’s British Open and I’m pleased to be at the tournament again.”

Amateur trio Frida Kinhult, Ingrid Lindblad and Emma Spitz joined Gal at five-under, safely claiming their spot in the coveted Major.

Nineteen-year-old Lindblad, who played in the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup, was the first to post the number, only missing three greens in a bogey-free round.

“I saw after the 16th that there were a lot of players at three-under par so I just tried my best to get ahead of them and was able to hole long putts on the par three, and then the 17^th before just holding on down the last,” Lindblad said.

Swedish teammate and current World Amateur Golf No. 1 Kinhult also posted a bogey-free round with her father and coach, Mikael, on the bag.

Heading down the par four 18^th unsure whether four-under would be enough to avoid a play-off, Kinhult took matters in to her own hands, firing a nine-iron to within four feet and rolling in the birdie putt.

Scotland’s Kylie Henry, Jacqui Concolino and Noora Komulainen all qualified with 68s, leaving nine players to fight it out in a sudden-death play-off for the final three spots.

Frenchwoman Valentine Derrey made a birdie at the first extra hole to ease through, while Agathe Sauzon, also from France, and American Whitney Hillier showed nerves of steel to make it through at the fifth time of asking.

Woburn has hosted the championship on 10 occasions, the first nine of which were played on the Duke’s Course, while the 2016 Women’s British Open was played on the Marquess to great acclaim from the 144-strong field of world-class players.

•Forming part of the Duke of Bedford’s estate, Woburn Golf Club is one of the UK’s premier golf facilities, boasting three world-class championship golf courses and has held many European Tour and Senior Tour events as well as Final Qualifying for The Open.

The Women’s British Open was founded by the Ladies Golf Union in 1976 and is staged in conjunction with IMG, the world’s largest sports marketing company, since 1984.

The event has been co-sanctioned by the LPGA and LET since 1994 and gained Major status in 2001. The championship is now owned by The R&A.

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Left to right: Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew, AIG Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall and Charley Hull, at Woburn Golf Club, last month. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THE 2019 AIG Women’s British Open is set to welcome a star-studded field to Woburn next month, with every player from the current top 30 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings confirmed.

The AIG Women’s British Open was founded by the LGU in 1976 and this year will held on Woburn’s magnificent Marquess’ course from August 1-4.

Nine of the past 10 champions are confirmed to compete, including Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who won when the championship was last at Woburn in 2016, Dorset’s defending champion Georgia Hall, and European Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew, who celebrates the 10^th anniversary of her memorable victory at Royal Lytham and St Annes, this year.

In a truly global field, 129 players from 25 countries are already confirmed, with Pre-Qualifying and Final Qualifying still to take place later this month at Sandy Lodge Golf Club and Ashridge Golf Club, in Hetfordshire, respectively.

They will contest the newly-increased prize fund, announced last week as $4.5 million – some 40 per cent more than last year, which is part of The R&A’s commitment to growing the championship and supporting women’s golf.

Last year, Hall thrilled the home crowds and viewers around the world with her two-stroke victory.

Last year’s runner-up, Pornanong Phatlum, from Thailand, along with England favourites Charley Hull, Bronte Law, Melissa Reid and Charlotte Thomas, will be in the field, which includes an impressive list of past champions, notably In-Kyung Kim (2017), Stacy Lewis (2013), Mo Martin (2014) and Inbee Park (2015).

The Solheim Cup, taking place at Gleneagles in September, will provide an intriguing sub-plot to the event, with Team Europe confirmed a week after the champion is crowned at Woburn – Team USA’s final selections will be announced on August 26.

Four American players have already sealed their qualification with room to spare, and all of them – sisters Nelly and Jessica Korda, Lexi Thompson and Danielle Kang – will be teeing up at Woburn with a little less pressure on their shoulders as they vie to add the final major of 2019 to their CV.

Major-winning prowess will be in strong supply at the Bedfordshire venue, with 48 titles won by 27 different players.

Of those, the most recent are Koreans Jin-young Ko and Jeong-eun Lee6 and Australian Hannah Green – this year’s winners – and all have confirmed their attendance at Woburn.

Forming part of the Duke of Bedford’s estate, Woburn is one of the UK’s premier golf facilities, boasting three world-class championship courses and has held many European Tour and Senior Tour events as well as Final Qualifying for The Open.

•The AIG Women’s British Open is staged in conjunction with IMG, the world’s largest sports marketing company, since 1984.

The event has been co-sanctioned by the LPGA and LET since 1994 and gained Major status in 2001. The championship is now owned by The R&A.

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