MILTON KEYNES, England — Hinako Shibuno of Japan finished with a birdie to win the Women’s British Open by one shot over Lizette Salas on Sunday as she wrapped up a stunning major championship debut.
The 20-year-old Shibuno, a rookie on the Japan LPGA Tour who was playing for the first time outside of her country, birdied five of the final nine holes in a 4-under 68 and 18-under 270 overall.
“I was also thinking about if I were to make this putt, how I was going to celebrate,” Shibuno said of approaching the 18th. “Eat a lot of sweets.”
Largely unknown before the championship, Shibuno – nicknamed “Smiling Cinderella” – started Sunday with a two-stroke lead but lost it with a double bogey on the par-4 3rd. She bounced back with birdies on Nos. 5 and 7 before a bogey on the 8th at Woburn Golf Club.
But in three of four rounds, Shibuno has shone on the back nine. She did it in 31 on Sunday — and just 30 on Thursday and Saturday.
“Now that I’ve won, I think a lot of the Japanese people will know me, but in actuality, I just wanted to live a quiet life,” Shibuno said.
“I was looking online and I did see that it’s been 42 years since a Japanese player has last won. I do feel that I have accomplished something great, but I really don’t know the reason why I was able to accomplish it.”
Salas, who started the final round tied for fourth, quickly played herself into contention with three birdies in the first four holes, and she added five more in a 7-under 65.
But the American will regret not taking another birdie chance on the 18th when she shared the lead with Shibuno.
Jin Young Ko was two shots back in third after a bogey-free 66.
PGA: J.T. Poston won the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina for his first PGA Tour title, shooting an 8-under 62 for a one-stroke victory.
Poston tied Henrik Stenson’s 2-year-old tournament record at 22-under 258. He became the first player since Lee Trevino in 1974 to win a 72-hole stroke-play event on tour without any bogeys or worse.
The native North Carolinian began his round three strokes back, took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-5 15th hole, then finished with three straight pars.
Webb Simpson was at 21 under. Byeong Hun An, who held or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds, three-putted the 18th for a bogey and a 67 to finish two shots back.
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