Hinako writes a Cinderella story with Open win
SMILING Cinderella Hinako Shibuno had everyone believing in fairytales yesterday following perhaps the most remarkable victory in the history of the AIG Women’s British Open. What an apt nickname it proved to be for the 20-year-old, who was not only playing in her first major, but competing in her first tournament of any kind outside her homeland. Out in the final group, she was taking selfies with the crowd as she made her way to the first hole. Needing a birdie on the 18th to win, she was highfiving the gallery on her way to the tee. Waiting to play her approach to the green, she broke out in a fit of giggles. With the crowd getting ever closer behind her, she wasted no time striking a seven iron to 20ft and started acknowledging the applause with a series of bows. By this stage, she had won over the crowd so completely that when the birdie putt to win — struck too hard — almost broke the back of the hole but fell below ground, the roar could not have been louder if Woburn’s own Charley Hull had struck it. You might have to go back to when Mr Lu from Taiwan charmed the Birkdale galleries in 1972 to find the last player from the Far East to engage with a home crowd in quite this manner. Japan provided the first Asian winner of a major in 1977 when Hisako Higuchi won the LPGA Championship. During the 42-year wait for another, they’ve watched on as the mighty Koreans have taken over the women’s game. Now that a golf-obsessed nation has a superstar of its own, the reaction to this victory will be every bit as febrile as Ireland’s following Shane Lowry’s success in the men’s game. Shibuno came home in 31 shots for a 68 and a oneshot triumph over Lizette Salas, who shot a 65 but will rue the 8ft birdie putt she missed on the final green. World No 1 Ko Jinyoung from Korea made a tremendous bid to pull off her third major success of the season, before settling for third place. As for the three English girls who had raised such hopes over the first two days, Bronte Law hit a 78 that saw her tumble to joint 35th place alongside defending champion Georgia Hall, who fell away on Saturday and concluded with a 73. Hull, meanwhile, shot 76 to finish tied 24th. Shibuno gave the winner’s speech in her fractured English — and yes, she had another fit of the giggles as she tried to read the notes prepared for her. It was about the only thing she stumbled over all week.