Tag: Ashleigh Buhai

Ashleigh Buhai, Minjee Lee atop crowded leaderboard at LPGA’s BMW Ladies Championship

Lee is looking for her second win in three starts.

After Saturday’s third round, Ashleigh Buhai and Minjee Lee are tied for the 54-hole lead at 12 under at the LPGA’s BMW Ladies Championship at Seowon Hills at Seowon Valley Country Club in Korea.

Buhai, who shot rounds of 62-73 over the first two days, signed for a bogey-free 3-under 69 on Saturday. The 20th-ranked player in the Rolex Rankings, who has missed the cut in four of her last five starts, is looking for her second win of the year (ShopRite LPGA Classic).

BMW Ladies: Full leaderboard

Lee mixed three birdies with two bogeys in round three, good enough for a 1-under effort. The Aussie, who is seventh in the world, won the Kroger Queen City Championship last month.

Lydia Ko and Alison Lee are tied for third at 11 under, one back. Lauren Coughlin and Céline Boutier are two back at 10 under. Atthaya Thitikul and Jiyai Shin sit T-7, three back. And rounding the top 10 are Hannah Green and Angel Yin at T-9, four back.

Ashleigh Buhai cards 10 birdies to take lead at LPGA’s BMW Ladies Championship in Korea

“My goal for this week was to play with no expectations.”

On a day when scores were low at Seowon Hills at Seowon Valley Country Club in Korea, Ashleigh Buhai took advantage.

After taking five weeks off because an old back injury flared up, Buhai returned in fashion to the LPGA, carding a bogey-free 10-under 62 to hold the first-round lead at the 2023 BMW Ladies Championship. Buhai had 10 birdies and eight pars and leads Alison Lee by a shot after Thursday.

“I think it was almost a blessing in disguise after a very busy summer,” Buhai said of her time off. “I’ve had one week of practice coming into here. And my goal for this week was to play with no expectations, and that’s often when you try to play well in a game.”

The 62 is a career-best round for Buhai, the 2022 AIG Women’s Open champion.

Of the 78 players in the field, only 10 shot over par, one of those being young phenom Rose Zhang, who shot 2-over 74.

Meanwhile, Lee’s 9-under performance was also bogey-free, including two stretches of three consecutive birdies. Ayaka Furue and Minjee Lee are tied for third at 8 under.

“Overall, I hit the ball really well,” Alison Lee said. “I gave myself a lot of putts inside 15 feet and was able to make almost all of them. I may have one putt that was a little longer, like 25, 30 feet. But other than that, I gave myself a lot of good birdie opportunities today.”

Lydia Ko, the defending champion, shot 5-under 67.

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Defending champion among notables who missed the cut at 2023 AIG Women’s Open

Yani Tseng in 2010 and 2011 remains the last LPGA golfer to win the AIG back to back.

The 2023 AIG Women’s Open has reached the weekend at Walton Heath in Surrey, England, and with Ally Ewing holding a commanding five-shot lead after 36 holes.

Like Brian Harman at the Open Championship three weeks ago, Ewing is at 10 under and the only golfer who is double digits under par after two rounds.

The cut at the AIG came in at 2 over and 13 golfers made the cut right on the number. But the defending champ is among the notables who did not advance to the weekend. It’s now been a dozen years since a golfer has defended her title in the major.

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Ally Ewing draws inspiration from Open winner Brian Harman at AIG Women’s Open

An American holding a big lead at an Open Championship is a storyline we’ve seen recently.

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Ally Ewing carded seven birdies en route to a 6-under 66 to take a five-shot lead after 36 holes at the AIG Women’s Open.

An American holding a big lead at an Open Championship is a storyline we’ve seen recently.

Brian Harman also led by five after two rounds at Royal Liverpool three weeks ago. He never faltered and went on to win his first major. Ewing, who says she doesn’t know Harman personally, said: “I obviously know his story, winning The Open everything and. But yeah, incredible tournament he played.”

The similarities don’t stop there.

“He’s a Bulldog,” she said, before clarifying. “He’s a Georgia Bulldog. I’m a Bulldog, I’m a Mississippi State Bulldog. I guess we have that in common. But yeah, it’s pretty cool, southern guy, I’m southern, just a little Mississippi girl. It is inspiring what he did.

“I think a lot of people, I wouldn’t say they were rooting against him but a lot of people were rooting for other people. I can kind of attest to that in some sense but yeah, certainly happy with where I am through 36 holes.”

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After a birdie on the third hole, Ewing strung together four straight birdies on Nos. 6 through 9 to make the turn in 30.

“I didn’t really even know until I signed my scorecard that I had four birdies in a row,” she said, cognizant of the zone she was in during her round. “I would probably say that stretch from like 6 to 11 is kind of a little bit of a blur but yeah, I was very in the present on all of those shots.”

Her lone blemish came with a bogey on the par-4 closing hole.

Despite that, she’s at 10 under, the only golfer in double digits under par. Harman was also at 10 under through two rounds.

There’s one other similarity between Harman and Ewing.

“I actually do some hunting. I know that’s probably not going to be interpreted well by the media but I do, yes.

“My husband and I, we do mostly deer hunting, so venison. That’s most
of what we do.”

With a commanding lead, Ewing is now the hunted and knows there’s still plenty of golf left to be played.

“Nothing that I’ve done through 36 holes can do anything for me for the next 36, so I’m just going to be mentally prepared for each individual day that presents itself. Each shot is going to be different.”

Charley Hull, Minami Katsu and Andrea Lee are tied for second at 5 under. There are four golfers two back at 4 under, including Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda is tied for 28th at 1 under after scores of 73 and 70.

Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai is 3 over and is among the notable names who missed the cut.

Ally Ewing makes late eagle, grabs solo lead at 2023 AIG Women’s Open

Ally Ewing has had a rollercoaster last few months on the LPGA.

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Ally Ewing has had a rollercoaster last few months on the LPGA.

In May, at the Bank of Hope Match Play, she finished 17th. Then she missed a cut at the Mizuho Americas.

A tie for eighth at the Meijer LPGA Classic was followed by a missed cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

A solo 11th at the U.S. Women’s Open was followed by a missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship.

She posted a T-9 a week ago in the Women’s Scottish Open but looks to be in good shape to buck the missed-cut-every-other-event trend this week at the AIG Women’s Open.

Ewing rebounded from back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 with a birdie on 15 and an eagle on 16 at Walton Heath in Surrey, England.

“The ball was sitting down a bit,” she said after her drive on 16 ended up in the rough. “But I happened to see both my playing competitors hit shots and noticed how firm it was up in front of the green and so I was actually able to learn a little bit there. It was kind of a gouge-type shot and I just let it chase and it just so happened to chase to like five feet. It was one of those where you’re trying to give yourself an eagle chance and it just so happened to be a five-footer, so definitely happy to walk away with an eagle.”

Her 4-under 68 elevated her into the solo lead after one round of the final LPGA major of 2023.

There’s a logjam in second at 3 under between Jeongeun Lee6, Emily Kristine Pedersen, Perrine Delacour, Jaravee Boonchant and Amy Yang. They all shot 69s.

There’s even a bigger cluster at 2 under, with 12 golfers tied for seventh after shooting 70. That group includes Carlota Ciganda, who was disqualified from the last LPGA major, the Amundi Evian Championship, for signing an incorrect scorecard, an incident that arose out of a two-stroke penalty for slow play. Also at 2 under is U.S. Open champ, Allisen Corpuz.

As for the other 2023 LPGA major champs: KPMG Women’s PGA champ Yin Ruoning, even; Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu, 1 over; Amundi winner Celine Boutier, 2 over.

Other notable scores: Danielle Kang (E), Stacy Lewis (E), Jin Young Ko (1 over), Nelly Korda (1 over), Lydia Ko (2 over), defending AIG champ Ashleigh Buhai (2 over), Brooke Henderson (3 over) and Lexi Thompson (4 over).

Thirty-three golfers broke par on the first day.

Photos: Ashleigh Buhai through the years

View photos of major champion Ashleigh Buhai throughout her professional career.

As the face of women’s golf in South Africa, Ashleigh Buhai has had a solid career, highlighted by a major win at the 2022 AIG Women’s Open.

Before earning her LPGA card in 2014, Buhai spent eight full-time seasons on the Ladies European Tour, tallying wins in 2007 (her rookie year) and in 2011. Since splitting her time between the two tours, Buhai has a total of five Ladies European Tour wins.

Since joining the LPGA for the 2015 season, Buhai has won two events, with the highlight of her LPGA career coming at the 2022 AIG Women’s Open. Outlasting Chun In-Gee, Buhai won her first major title with a par on the fourth playoff hole with a total of 10-under 274.

In June of 2023, Buhai picked up her first win in the United States at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. With three wins within the past calendar year, Buhai looks to defend her major title at Walton Heath Golf Club in Tadworth, England.

Ashleigh Buhai’s closing 65 at ShopRite clinches second LPGA title and fourth victory worldwide in less than a year

Ashleigh Buhai, 34, is the oldest player to win on the LPGA this season.

Ashleigh Buhai won for the fourth time worldwide in 10 months when she collected her second LPGA victory at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

The 34-year-old, the oldest player to win on tour this season, played more than 200 tournaments on the LPGA before breaking through with her first title at the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open at Muirfield.

“I had the same feelings as Muirfield except I was able to hold it down the stretch a little bit,” said Buhai, “which was something that … only comes from experience.”

Buhai started off hot with four birdies in her first five holes, including a bomb from off the green on the fifth hole that she called a “hallelujah” putt.

“Those things need to happen for to you win, obviously,” she said.

Buhai birdied the 18th to post her second consecutive 65 and hold the clubhouse lead at 14 under at the Bay Course at Seaview in Galloway, New Jersey. She then waited to see if fellow major champion Hyo Joo Kim could match it. Kim’s eagle chip on the closing par 5 came dangerously close to sending the festivities into overtime. Kim had to instead settle for a tap-in birdie to finish one shot back.

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Overnight leader Dani Holmqvist, who hadn’t made a cut in five starts this season, birdied the last to finish tied for fourth and earn $81,847.

Chiara Noja, 17, tied for 12th in her first LPGA start. The LET winner heads soon to prom back home in Dubai. Noja earned $29,995 in only her second start on American soil.

The German-born player finished runner-up last week at the Belgian Ladies Open and has seven top-15 finishes so far on the LET this season. She’s currently fifth in the 2023 Race to Costa Del Sol rankings for LET Player of the Year.

Buhai, who won the Australian Women’s Open last December and the South African Women’s Open in March, becomes only the second South African with multiple LPGA wins, following Sally Little (15).

“Definitely the best golf I’ve played in my career,” said Buhai, who celebrated on the 18th with husband David, who caddies on tour for Jeongeun Lee6. “I think we have found a good balance. I’m on the older side on tour nowadays, one of the veterans.”

The former prodigy credited much of her success to her work with sports psychologist Duncan McCarthy.

“I really only have one thought with everything,” said Buhai. “I have one thought with the swing, one thought with the chipping, one thought with the putting, and I just tried and do that over and over.

“I know it sounds boring and I know he says, ‘I know this is getting boring,’ but this is what creates good results. So when I put it all together, this is what can happen.”

Meet some of the longest-standing and successful player/caddie duos on the LPGA

Here’s a list of players and caddies who have found a good rhythm and seem to be in it for the long haul.

There’s turnover every season when it comes to player-caddie partnerships on the LPGA, particularly at the start of the year. World No. 1 Lydia Ko has changed caddies regularly throughout her career, including this season, despite having an enormously strong 2022.

Minjee Lee, who won a couple majors in the past two years, will begin 2023 with a new looper after enjoying much success with veteran Jason Gilroyed.

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Plenty more players have made changes, but there are a number who have stood the test of time. While not by any means exhaustive, here’s a list of players and caddies who have found a good rhythm and seem to be in it for the long haul:

2022 Golfweek Awards: Tournament of the Year

Four tournaments stood out from the pack, three of which were major championships.

The discourse that dominated professional golf in 2022 largely focused on the off-course battle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Despite the back-and-forth war of words and lawsuits, the on-course action in both the men’s and women’s game was just as compelling. But which tournament was the best of the rest?

The Golfweek staff debated the topic, and after all the deliberation, four events stood out from the pack, three of which were major championships, and two even included a tie to LIV, the upstart Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.

Check out the 2022 tournament of the year (as well as the three honorable mentions).

Aussies fall short Sunday of men’s, women’s titles at home ISPS Handa Australian Open

The final round wasn’t kind to the Aussies playing in their national open.

The unique ISPS Handa Australian Open – held over two courses with men’s, women’s and all-abilities divisions playing concurrently – featured a trio of great finishes on Sunday, but the final round wasn’t kind to the natives in their national open.

On the men’s side, 54-hole leader Adam Scott struggled to a 2-over 72 thanks to a crucial double-bogey on the par-4 17th. After making eagle at the par-5 18th the previous two rounds at Victoria Golf Club, the 2013 Masters champion instead signed for a par on Sunday to seal his runner-up fate at 9 under. Adrian Meronk, on the other hand, eagled the final hole to sign for a 4-under 66 to extend his winning margin to five shots at 14 under.

Two more Aussies finished in the top five as Aussie Min Woo Lee placed third at 8 under, with Haydn Barron T-4 at 7 under alongside Alejandro Canizares.

“I’m super excited and to finish like that on the 18th hole is just unreal,” said Meronk.

On the women’s side, three Aussies finished Nos. 3-5 while Ashleigh Buhai claimed a one-shot win over Jiyai Shin at 12 under after Shin missed a putt to force a playoff on the final hole. Hannah Green led after 54 holes, but similar to Scott, a 2-over 72 on Sunday saw her fall off the pace to finish two shots back in third at 10 over. Grace Kim was 2 under through 15 holes in the final round but a costly double-bogey on the par-5 18th brought her back to even on the day and fourth at 9 under for the tournament. Minjee Lee shot a 1-under 71 to finish fifth at 8 under.

Kipp Popert won the all-abilities division with ease thanks to the lone round under par on Sunday, a 3-under 69. Currently No. 1 on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability, Popert finished the three-round event at 2 under, seven shots clear of runner-up Kurtis Barkley.

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