In a stunning conclusion to the AIG Women's Open, Shiho Kuwaki clinched a dramatic playoff victory over Esther Henseleit, following an extraordinary finish that saw Charley Hull and Lottie Woad fall short on the final day. Henseleit sank an impressive 45-foot birdie on the last hole at Royal Lytham & St Annes to join Kuwaki at five under, after Kuwaki overturned a three-shot deficit with a one-under 70.
The two competitors returned to the par-four 18th for a sudden-death playoff, where Kuwaki scrambled an unlikely par despite an errant drive, while Henseleit missed a 10-foot birdie putt for the win. On the second extra hole, Henseleit's tee shot hit a marshal's ankle and landed in a bush, leading to a bogey, as Kuwaki two-putted for par to become Japan's second consecutive AIG Women's Open champion. Yealimi Noh, who had taken a three-shot lead into the final round, briefly extended her advantage to four shots but carded three bogeys in a five-hole stretch on her front nine, ultimately finishing third ahead of Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul.
Hull and Woad finished four strokes back in tied-sixth, failing to mount a late challenge for a home victory, while Haeran Ryu ended the week on one under in pursuit of a third consecutive major title. Kuwaki, who started tied-second, quickly closed the gap with a birdie at the second but lost ground with successive bogeys from the fourth as Noh extended her lead. However, Noh's advantage was short-lived, as she produced a sensational up and down to save par at the first and birdied the next, only to drop shots and allow the chasing pack to close in.
As the lead changed hands multiple times during a dramatic back nine, Kuwaki regained her outright advantage when Noh bogeyed the 12th, and Henseleit pulled level with back-to-back birdies from the 11th. Henseleit's three-putt bogey on the 16th gave Kuwaki a one-shot lead, but Henseleit's remarkable 72nd-hole birdie forced a playoff. Kuwaki delivered a sensational up and down from the fairway to match Henseleit's par on the opening playoff hole, and a par on the next hole secured the $1.5m first prize and the biggest win of her career.
'I just can't believe it,' Kuwaki said. '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.
After Miyu Yamashita's win last year, to be able to win again as a Japanese player is such an amazing feeling.' The Ladies European Tour stays in England for the PIF London Championship, while the LPGA Tour takes a week off before the Standard Portland Classic from August 13-16.