Women’s Open 2022: Ashleigh Buhai makes triple bogey, recovers to beat In Gee Chun in play-off at Muirfield

Twenty years on from Ernie Els’ Open triumph at Muirfield, Ashleigh Buhai overcame an almighty wobble to follow her fellow South African into the winners’ circle with victory in the Women’s Open.

Els secured victory in the ultimate test of a play-off, and it was fitting Buhai followed suit by getting the better of In Gee Chun after four extra holes.

Winning majors is difficult, unless you are peak Tiger Woods, and it was never going to be a cruise round Muirfield in windy conditions.

She made pars on 16, 17 and 18 – as did Chun – to take the final major of the year into extra holes for the first time since 1992.

The rules state the 18th is played continuously until a winner is found. At the fourth extra hole, it was Chun who faltered off the tee and Buhai held nerve to claim a maiden major title.

“It is a lot of hard work, many years of dedication, and there are lots of South Africans at home with grey hair right now,” Buhai said at the presentation. “I was surprisingly calm. I kept going through my steps and my thoughts, I just tried to stay in the moment.

“It is so difficult to put into words what it means. We are a small country so to produce multiple major champions is quite something.

“To be a female, South African and a major winner, I have no words. It is life changing.”

Final Leaderboard

• 1. Ashleigh Buhai, 10-under*
• 2. In Gee Chun, 10- under
• 3. Hinaki Shibuno, nine-under
• T4. Madelen Sagstrom, seven-under
• T4. Minjee Lee, seven-under
• T4. Leona Maguire, seven-under
• T7. Steph Kyriacou, five-under
• T7. Brooke Henderson, five-under
• T7. Atthaya Thitikul, five-under
• T7. Lydia Ko, five-under
• T7. Nasa Hataoka, five-under
• T7. Celine Boutier, five-under

Buhai made a shaky start with a bogey on two and got lucky on three when missing a fairway bunker by a matter of inches after appearing to take too much club.

At a time when Buhai looked shaky, Chun birdied on two and four, the latter from long distance, to get within two shots of the lead.

Buhai made a confidence-boosting birdie on the par-five fifth and a string of pars sent out a warning. But an error came on nine, as she found a bunker off the tee and chalked up a bogey.

At the moment, the gap to Chun was one but a hole ahead, Chun found a bunker on 10. Finding a fairway bunker off the tee at Muirfield generally results in a one-shot penalty, and that was the case for Chun and it resulted in Buhai turning for home with a two-shot lead.

Chun made a terrible mistake on 12, short-siding herself on the left. She had to go over a bunker but stood no chance of getting close to the pin and it resulted in a second bogey in three holes as she dropped three adrift of Buhai.

With no players emerging from the pack, Chun and Hinaki Shibuno were the closest challengers at three adrift in the final six holes.

Buhai stood on the 15th tee with a three-shot lead. That evaporated seven strokes later. Finding a bunker off the tee was the start of the troubles. She played out sideways and found a torrid spot in the rough. A hack advanced the ball only 20 yards and she came up short of the green with her fourth. A heavy-handed chip left her with a 15-footer which she missed, meaning she walked off the green with a triple-bogey seven.

The South African looked frazzled walking to the 16th, so it was impressive to see her make a controlled swing and walk off with a par.

Buhai and Chun both made pars on 17 and 18, taking the championship to extra holes.

Chun produced a stunning 30-yard bunker shot to keep the play-off alive, and at the second hole she rolled in a 10-footer to do the same.

For the fourth time on the 18th green on Sunday, once in regulation and three in the play-off, Buhai had a putt to win the title. Once again it stayed above ground, but by a matter of inches.

At the fourth extra hole, with light fading, Chun’s tee shot leaked to the right and found the deep bunker. The only option was to splash out. She asked the question with a brilliant approach and Buhai blinked by finding the greenside bunker on the right with her second.

Els played a stunning bunker shot from the other side of the green in 2002. Buhai’s was arguably as good and it was enough to secure the win as Chun missed her par putt.

Buhai had the task of stroking in from a foot, with the win all the more impressive as she arrived in Scotland with only one top-10 finish at a major from 42 attempts and fended off a number of blows – some self inflicted – to claim the title.

Reflecting on the bunker shot that set up the win, Buhai said: “My caddie said, I don’t want to brag, but she said to show why you are No. 1 in bunkers this year.

“She gave me confidence and maybe it was something to do with South Africans and bunker shots here.”

Leona Maguire was the in-form player on the course by a distance, and her round of 66 secured the Irish player her best finish in a major.

“I don’t think I could have played much better,” Maguire said. “I had a few chances coming in, it would have been nice to make a couple more putts, but it wasn’t easy out there.”

Louise Duncan was the low amateur at Carnoustie 12 months ago. One year on, and in her second professional appearance, the Scottish youngster carded a 69 in the final round to get in red numbers for the tournament at one-under.

Duncan said before the tournament that a decent pay day would help with her wedding plans. £75,000 should buy a few bottles of fizz.

Charley Hull failed to make a charge on Sunday and ended level-par for the tournament, the same score as Georgia Hall.