Ashleigh Buhai has survived a day of carnage to win the Australian Open and obtain a feat not even Cameron Smith can declare.
The South African prevailed after a dramatic collapse from Sydney prodigy Grace Kim to sprint native hopes for an additional 12 months on Sunday.
Buhai closed with a one-over-par 73 at Victorian Golf Membership to put up a nerve-wracking one-stroke victory over Korean Jayai Shin (75).
With a profitable 12-under 72-hole whole of 277, Buhai accomplished a uncommon British Open-Australian Open double, having additionally triumphed at Muirfield to clinch her maiden main championship in July.
Smith arrived on the world-first dual-gender Open a heat favorite so as to add the Stonehaven Cup to the Claret Jug he famously gained at St Andrews this 12 months.
However the world No.3 did not even make the Saturday lower of the lads’s Open, ending in a share of forty seventh place.
To Buhai, although, go the spoils.
“It is the cherry on the highest,” an emotional Buhai mentioned of her triumphant season earlier than choking again tears.
“Sorry, it is simply hit me.”
Barely half an hour earlier, 21-year-old Kim had stood on the 18th tee sharing the lead wanting each bit the potential champion.
Alas, the brand new LPGA Tour graduate needed to accept outright fourth at 9 beneath after making a large number of the par-5 18th to chalk up a soul-destroying double bogey.
Celebrated compatriot Hannah Inexperienced (74) birdied the final to pip Kim for third at 10 beneath.
However Inexperienced’s hopes had already evaporated on the entrance 9.
After beginning the day two photographs off the lead, she recorded two doubles and a bogey to spiral from 12 to eight beneath and out of competition, six strokes adrift of Buhai heading to the again 9.
Fellow heavyweight Minjee Lee (71) completed fifth at eight beneath but additionally should be questioning what might need been.
With an unsightly double-bogey seven on the eighth, she spoiled a golden begin of three birdies in six holes that had rocketed the world No.4 into competition.
The US Open champion was by no means an element after falling seven photographs behind Buhai on the flip.
No Australian girl has gained the Open for the reason that legendary Karrie Webb reigned for a fifth time at Victoria in 2014.
Webb emerged from semi-retirement to play this week’s particular occasion, rising to the event to make the top-30 lower and end joint-Twenty sixth.
