SHIHO KUWAKI WINS THE OPEN!!

“I just can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it!, said Shiho Kuwaki after she beat Esther Henseleit in a two-hole playoff to become a major champion at the 50th edition of the AIG Women’s Open held at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

The Japanese star has been near the top of the leaderboard all week with an opening 66 (-5) followed by a 70 (-1) and a 73 (+2).

On the final day, she held her nerve to shoot a round of 70 (-1), which included three birdies and two bogeys, to set the clubhouse lead on five-under-par. Kuwaki watched on television as overnight leader Yealimi Noh and Esther Henseleit came down the eighteenth each needing a birdie to force a playoff.

Henseleit was first to go and sank her 40ft birdie putt to force a playoff…..”Yeah, I mean, it was a very confusing putt to be honest, and it was going right to left and everything. Yeah, the last three feet it was tracking and I was, oh, okay it might actually go in. Yeah, it was a great moment when that putt dropped in.”

Next up was Noh who could only make a par and claim solo third place…”Obviously it stings coming up one short and having a not great round, but I’m still very happy to have been in this position. And coming down 18 in front of the big crowds and playing at The Open, it was really special. Reminded me why I love this game and why I’m here.”

Kuwaki and Henseleit headed back down 18 and each made a par on the first playoff hole

Kuwaki found the fairway and green in two on her second attempt, while Henseleit’s ball went in the gorse off the tee. On television it appears that the German’s ball got the cruelest of bounces off the ankle of a marshall and instead of finishing in the rough found a gorse bush to the right.

Despite recovering well, the German missed her par putt and made bogey leaving Kuwaki to sink her par putt and win the 2026 AIG Women’s Open.

Photos: Shino Kuwaki with the trophy. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/R&A).