Japan yesterday hailed a fairy-tale finish for Hinako Shibuno, the 20-year-old golf sensation known as “Smiling Cinderella” who was crowned the winner at the Women’s British Open.
“She did it!” said TV presenter Tomoaki Ogura after Shibuno, in her debut tournament overseas, became Japan’s first Major winner in 42 years.
“Who expected she could do this much in her first competition abroad, a Major championship?” Ogura said in his morning show on a private TV network.
Photo: Reuters
Shibuno’s win at her first Major dominated morning television shows in Japan, topping news items. The story broke too late for the front pages of Japan’s newspapers, but was splashed across their Web sites.
Despite the huge popularity of golf in Japan, only one Japanese player — male or female — had previously won a Major: Chako Higuchi at the 1977 Women’s PGA Championship.
Social media was abuzz with congratulations for the 20-year-old Shibuno, who only turned pro last year.
“A star is born!” one Japanese user tweeted.
“A historic achievement,” another wrote.
On Japanese television, Higuchi said Shibuno looked as “relaxed” as if she were playing in Japan.
Shibuno hit a gutsy 18-foot birdie putt at the final hole to seal victory at Woburn on Sunday, finishing at 18-under-par overall after a fourth-round 68 as she beat Lizette Salas of the US by a single stroke.
South Korea’s world No. 1 Ko Jin-young was third following a 66 to finish at 16-under for the tournament. Taiwan’s Teresa Lu (seven-under) finished in a share of 16th, while Hsu Wei-ling missed the cut with scores of 76 and 73.
Jun Sato, chief of the golf club where Shibuno practised until she graduated from high school, told the Web site of the Mainichi Shimbun that he was elated by the victory.
“I don’t just feel happy, I feel superb!” he said.
Shibuno herself seemed overwhelmed by the victory.
“I didn’t feel that nervous when I was on the last putt,” she told reporters.
However, after the win “I was just covered in goosebumps and I feel so tense now I just don’t know what to say,” she said.
Additional reporting by staff writer
WYNDHAM
AP, GREENSBORO, North Carolina
J.T. Poston won the Wyndham Championship for his first PGA Tour title, shooting an eight-under 62 for a one-stroke victory.
The native North Carolinian began his round three strokes back, took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-five 15th hole, then finished with three straight pars to earn US$1,116,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points at the regular-season finale.
Webb Simpson was at 21-under after a 65. Byeong Hun-an, who held or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds, three-putted the 18th for a bogey and a 67 to finish two shots back. Trying to force a playoff with a birdie, he nearly holed a 60-footer, but had it run well past.
Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting lost her bronze medal at the International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championships after she failed to meet eligibility criteria, the governing body of amateur boxing said yesterday. The IBA did not elaborate on Lin’s disqualification. Bulgarian Svetlana Kamenova Staneva, who lost to Lin in the under-57kg quarter-finals, was awarded the bronze medal. Algeria’s Imane Khelif was also disqualified hours before her gold medal bout. The 23-year-old was scheduled to meet Yang Liu in the 66kg division final, but Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng, who lost to Khelif in the semi-finals, would fight the Chinese instead. “A boxer from Algeria
Retired Formula One champion Nelson Piquet has been ordered by a Brazilian court to pay more than US$950,000 in “moral damages” for making racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton. The 70-year-old Brazilian had referred to seven-time champion Hamilton as “neguinho,” a racially offensive term that means “little black guy,” in 2021. In another interview, Piquet used racist and homophobic language. The court in Brasilia on Friday ordered Piquet to pay 5 million (US$952,998) reals “in collective moral damages, to be allocated to funds for the promotion of racial equality and against discrimination of the LGBTQIA+ community.” The charges were filed by several
Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani is to make a one-season MLB record US$65 million this year in salary and endorsements, Forbes magazine reported on Tuesday. Ohtani, set to be the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels in their MLB season opener today against Oakland, helped spark Japan to the World Baseball Classic title a week ago with a victory over the US in the final. The 28-year-old who serves as an outfielder and designated hitter when not on the mound, signed a one-year contract extension worth US$30 million last year and will make US$35 million in endorsements this year, Forbes reported. That
Uncertainty over the timing and location of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup continues two days after Indonesian authorities postponed the official draw for the May 20 to June 11 tournament because of protests over Israel’s participation. The draw, scheduled to be held in Bali on Friday, was delayed indefinitely by the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) amid backlash from conservative Islamic groups. Doubt had already been cast on the draw ceremony when Bali Governor Wayan Koster called for a ban on Israel playing there because of Indonesia’s diplomatic support for the Palestinian cause. FIFA has not commented on Indonesia’s status as host or
RSS