Shiho Kuwaki won her maiden major title at the AIG Women's Open after defeating Esther Henseleit on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off at Royal Lytham & St Annes. The Japanese player overturned a three-shot deficit on Sunday, posting a final-round one-under 70 to finish tied at five under par alongside Henseleit. Kuwaki earned the $1.5m (£1.1m) first prize, marking the biggest victory of her career.
Henseleit forced the tournament's first play-off in four years by holing a remarkable 45-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to cap her own one-under 70. Both golfers returned to the par-four 18th hole for sudden death. On the opening extra hole, Kuwaki scrambled an unlikely par following an errant drive, producing a sensational up and down from the middle of the fairway after Henseleit missed a 10-foot birdie putt for victory.
The play-off was decided on the second extra hole when Henseleit's tee shot struck a marshal's ankle and deflected into a bush. Henseleit was forced to hack back into the fairway and eventually carded a bogey. Kuwaki safely two-putted for par to secure the championship and become Japan's second consecutive AIG Women's Open winner following Miyu Yamashita's victory last year.
Front nine shifts at Royal Lytham
Kuwaki started the final round tied for second place among the chasing group and made a quick move with a birdie at the second hole. However, she lost ground with back-to-back bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes as overnight leader Yealimi Noh extended her advantage. Kuwaki recovered late on the front nine, making a birdie-two at the ninth hole to get within one stroke of the lead.
Henseleit, playing in the final round alongside Noh, dropped a shot at the third hole before birdying the sixth to stay three strokes behind. She then suffered back-to-back bogeys at the eighth and ninth holes to drop further back. Meanwhile, Noh maintained her position early before stumbling on the back end of the front nine.
Noh held a three-shot lead entering Sunday and briefly went four clear after producing a sensational up and down to save par at the first hole and birdying the second. Despite dropping a shot at the par-four fourth, she stayed ahead as the chasing pack dropped strokes. Noh then carded three bogeys in a five-hole stretch on her front nine, including successive bogeys at the seventh and eighth holes to stutter to the turn in 37.
Back nine leaderboard battle
The lead shifted repeatedly across an eventful back nine. Playing two groups ahead of the final pair, Kuwaki birdied the driveable 13th hole to take a share of the lead. She gained the outright lead when Noh bogeyed the 12th hole to fall one shot behind.
Henseleit mounted her own charge on the back nine, stringing together back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th holes to get back within one shot of the lead. Noh temporarily tied Kuwaki by birdying the 13th hole, but she promptly dropped another shot at the 14th hole to fall back once more.
Henseleit pulled level at five under when she almost holed her approach shot into the par-four 15th hole and tapped in for a close-range birdie. However, she three-putted from the front of the 16th green for bogey, falling one stroke behind Kuwaki once again. Kuwaki closed out her round with consecutive pars to set the clubhouse target at five under before Henseleit sank her dramatic 45-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole.
Leaderboard finishes and British contenders
Noh finished third overall following her final-round struggles. She ended the tournament ahead of Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul.
British players Charley Hull and Lottie Woad finished four strokes off the lead in tied-sixth place at one under par. Both players failed to mount a late challenge for a home victory, with Hull's major hopes derailed by a nightmare start to her final day. Haeran Ryu, who was chasing a third consecutive major title, also ended the week on one under par to share sixth place.
Post-match reactions and tour schedule
"I just can't believe it," Kuwaki said through an interpreter after the victory. "To be on a stage like this is just an honour."
"Every hole I was just focused on shot by shot, and just tried to enjoy it out there as much as I could," Kuwaki added. "After Yamashita's win last year, to be able to win again as a Japanese player is such an amazing feeling."
The Ladies European Tour remains in England for its next event, the PIF London Championship, which begins Thursday at the Centurion Club. The LPGA Tour takes a week off before resuming with the Standard Portland Classic from August 13 to 16.
