Hinako Shibuno smiles a lot. And why wouldn’t she. Just 20, Shibuno was playing tournament golf outside Japan for the first time at the AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn Golf Club in England. But Shibuno wasn’t merely sightseeing. With one final putt – an aggressive stroke that luckily hit the back of the cup and dropped – Shibuno won the tournament by one stroke over Lizette Salas.
The final-hole birdie was set up by a solid iron shot from 165 yards that settled on the green approximately 20 feet from the hole. That shot was hit with a Ping i210 6-iron, a players irons with perhaps a tinge more forgiveness than some others in that category. The putt was struck with the company’s Sigma 2 Anser blade.
It was one final birdie for Shibuno on a nine that she owned for the week. While her play on the front nine was scratchy in spots, her golf on the incoming nine was nothing short of stellar. Shibuno’s 72-hole total of 18-under par matched her 18-under par total on the back nine for the week with no bogeys on that stretch.
Shibuno has won twice this year on the Japan LPGA, but now has proven that she can win away from her homeland as well – and in a big way.
Just another reason to keep smiling.
What Hinako Shibuno had in the bag at the AIG Women’s British Open:
Ball:Titleist Pro V1
Driver:Ping G410 Plus, 10.5 degrees
3-wood:Ping G410 LST, 14.5 degrees
5-wood:Ping G410, 17.5 degrees
Hybrids:Ping G410 (22, 26 degrees)
Irons (5-PW):Ping I210
Wedges:Ping Glide Forged (52, 56 degrees)
Putter:Ping Sigma 2 Anser