Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, who won the hearts of golf fans last year, has confirmed that she will defend her title at the 2020 AIG Women’s Open being played at Royal Troon from 20-23 August. For further information on the AIG Women’s Open, please visit .
She is only 20, has never played a major championship or even played outside Japan until this week and now Hinako Shibuno finds herself leading the Women’s British Open at Woburn. She takes a two-shot lead into the Sunday but there is plenty of talent queuing up behind her should she slip up on the final day.
It’s Manic Monday, so here is a very quick round up of all the results and stories from the weekend on the PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA and Women’s European Tour.
As majors go, the AIG Women’s British Open was a classic. Hinako Shibuno, the 20 year old Japanese rookie, who had never set foot in a tournament outside of her home country holed, in some style we might add, a 20ft putt on the 18th to secure the title. Just moments before Lizette Salas had missed a much shorter chance in front of an amazing crowd.
The R&A confirmed today that it intends to play the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon from 20th to 23rd August without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the first women’s Major Championship to be played this year and will be broadcast globally to more than 11 million fans.
Hands up, GolfPunk joined the outcry about the lack of a five-year exemption on the LPGA Tour for Sophia Popov after her fantastic win at the AIG Women’s Open. However, having listened to the highly impressive Mike Whan, commissioner of the LPGA, we have somewhat changed our view. In his statement, Whan opened with a firm but passioned statement. Mike Whan, we salute you!
Ok as nobody else seems to be doing it, I am going to come out and defend the seemingly indefensible, or at the very worst add a bit of perspective. Hank Hainey made a pretty unwise statement and was clearly mistaken in taking what might be described as ‘locker room humour’ to the airways. But, was he being ‘racist, xenophobic, and sexist’ as stated by the PGA Tour’s lawyers?
It’s Manic Monday, so here is a very quick round up of all the results and stories from the weekend on the, PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA and Women’s European Tour.
It was all getting quite crowded at the top of the leaderboard on day two at the AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn on Friday until the overnight leader, Ashleigh Buhai, who was out late in the day, suddenly put her foot on the accelerator to open up daylight between her and the field.
South African Ashleigh Buhai shot a seven-under-par opening 65 to lead the AIG Women’s British Open. However, home favourites Charlie Hull, Georgia Hall and Bronte Law gave the crowd something to cheer about on day one at Woburn Golf Club in Buckinghamshire.
Defending Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall is set to tee off at 12.16 on Thursday alongside Brooke Henderson of Canada and Japan’s Mamiko Higa and according to her she is “actually very excited. I don't feel any pressure. It’s really nice for me to be home because I've been in the US the whole year.”
