Buhai won the British Open on the fourth playoff hole

the south africa Ashleigh Ann Buhai, who faced the final round with a clear advantage, fell victim to nerves, never having been in such delicate situations before, and needing the fourth hole to play the South Korean Chun In-geeto win the women’s British Open, in the Scottish field of muirfield, in what was her first victory in an LPGA tournament and, nothing better than to do it in one of the five ‘greats’.

Ashleigh Ann Buhai, has a total of 274 hits (-10), after the last bad card with 75 (+4); the same effects accumulated by Chun In-gee, winner of three majors, after his fourth round with 70 (-1), and which led him to force a playoff that required four holes to give the winner of the tournament.

The final day seemed calm, and quite comfortable, for Buhai, who started with a five-stroke lead over his immediate pursuers, the Japanese. Hinako Shibuno and Chun In-gee. In addition, the oceanic left a full master class in good golf on Saturday, with a 64 (-7). But the pressure, having so close, so close, the possibility of winning her first LPGA tournament and especially being one of the five ‘greats’, lessened and that was the beginning.

Building a match with Shibuno, and with Chun one hole ahead, in just four holes, Buhai was only two ahead of the South Korean, who signed two birdies on 2 and 4, while the South African made ‘bogey’ in 2 . The Japanese, meanwhile, went down, with ‘bogeys’ on 3 and 4, despite a ‘birdie’ on 2.

The following holes were calmer for Buhai, who birdied the 5th (his only one of the day) and controlled Chun from distance, who did the same on the 6th; where they remained at -14 and -12, respectively, until the 9th hole. They scored so much that, with a difference of one hole, they bogeyed at the same time, where they fell back to -13 and – eleven. Shibuno was a distant third, despite an ‘eagle’ at the 5th, but he holed out with a ‘bogey’ at the 8th.

Despite making a ‘bogey’ on the 9th, the South African was relieved to see how the South Korean made them on the 10th and 12th. He lost his advantage after three strokes, and it seemed to be back in his hands the tournament. But the worst for Buhai, and for his more nervous wife who followed his route, would come on 15, a par 4 that he covered in 7 strokes. He will go to -10, just like Chun. Everything is open for one and for another. The South Korean finished first and I was waiting in the clubhouse, drinking tea, to see the end of his rival. A ‘birdie’ can decide the tournament, and the South African grabbed it on 17, where the ball caressed the hole without going in. In the end, it went to a tiebreaker, where the Asian veteran (winner of three ‘bigs’) gave him the favorite condition.

On the first playoff hole, always on the par four of the 18th, Chun was bad, sending his second shot into the ‘bunker’, but made a good release from the sand that guaranteed par, something Buhai also signed off on. In the second tiebreaker, the ocean went to the sand (according to tournament statistics, the best to take the ball from there), while the Asian went to the ‘raf’ (the grass was not mowed flush) leaving his ball. sunk Neither one made a good third shot.

Chun’s fourth shot was also bad, leaving the ball about eight feet from the hole. Buhai, with a ‘putt’ of about four and a half meters had a chance to win; but the ball remained a few centimeters from entering. Then, both made a ‘bogey’ and went to the third tiebreaker, where they signed the pair, with the ocean closer to the ‘birdie’.

In the fourth tiebreaker, in danger of lack of light, the Asian exit was bad, directly into a ‘bunker’ that left him in a very complicated situation. Buhai came out very well, but nerves flared again and he sent his second shot into the arena; yes, his exit from the ‘bunker’ was masterful, he left the ball just half a meter from the hole and secured the par. Chun should have holed out on his fourth shot, about twenty feet away, but he didn’t. The South African won her first LPGA win and what better way to do it than in a major.

Not since 1980 has a South African golfer won the ‘big’. Now Ashleigh Ann Buhai, born in Johannesburg 33 years ago, world number 84, who had only three titles on the European circuit in his palms (2007 Catalonia Masters, 2011 Portuguese Open and 2018 South African Open). The joy shown to him, and his wife, who quickly hugged him between their tears, confirms the past suffering to get the best trophy of his career. In the mind of the two, it must be in the back $1.1 million who was taken as the winner; Well, it’s in the history of golf.