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Women's British Open 2019: Hinako Shibuno Edges Lizette Salas for Win
August 4, 2019
Hinako Shibuno won the 2019 Women's British Open after finishing 18 under par on the Marquess' Course at Woburn Golf Club in Milton Keynes, England, on Sunday.
The winner carded 68 to finish one shot ahead of Lizette Salas and earn a $675,000 (£540,000) share of the $4.5 million (£3.6 million) prize money available.
Final Leaderboard (To Par, Round 4 Score and Payouts, per Golf News Net)
1. Hinako Shibuno: -18, 68 ($675,000 £540,000)
2. Lizette Salas: -17, 65 ($412,607 £339,311)
3. Jin Young Ko: -16, 66 ($299,317 £246,146)
4. Morgan Pressel: -15, 67 ($231,545 £190,413)
5. Ashleigh Buhai: -14, 70 ($186,369 £153,262)
The full leaderboard can be found at the LPGA's official website.
Salas began in fine form by sinking birdies over the first two holes, before a bogey on the par-three sixth appeared to slow her progress. The 30-year-old's response was a brilliant hat-trick of birdies to bridge the front and back nines.
While Sala looked in control, Ko wasn't backing down. She sunk birdies on three of the first four holes on the back nine.
Ko was bogey-free over 13 holes, an efficient run good enough to keep her in touch at the top:
Among those keeping the pressure on the joint-leaders was Morgan Pressel. She only managed a single birdie over the front nine, but things improved on the second half of the course.
Pressel managed an eagle on the par-five 11th, before birdies at the 13th and 14th:
Things were becoming congested at the business end of the leaderboard, but Salas seized the chance to separate herself from the pack at the par-five 15th.
Her deft putt to complete birdie once again gave the American sole ownership of first place:
Shibuno was also making her move after she recovered from a double bogey on the par-four third. She made an eagle at the eighth, before sinking a trio of birdies over the four holes of the back nine.
Ko and Shibuno were now locked in a tie for second, but the latter soon joined Salas at the top thanks to this birdie at the 15th:
Salas' response was to close out with pars over the last three holes. However, she missed a birdie putt on the 18th that would have put her out of sight.
The birdie that was meant to be gave Shibuno the opportunity, but she couldn't take it. Instead, the 20-year-old wasted a birdie putt and settled for par on the 17th.
Shibuno knew a birdie on the 18th would give her the title and made a great start to completing the hole:
It left her with a straightforward putt to claim the championship after a superb 31-shot performance over the back nine.