Shiho Kuwaki is the newest Women's British Open winner after outlasting Esther Henseleit in sudden death play at Royal Lytham & St Annes on Sunday.
The 23-year-old from Okayama, Japan, captured her first major, surviving a tight race for the top spot. She's now the second straight AIG Women's Open winner from Japan, following Miyu Yamashita's trophy-earning performance last year.
How Shiho Kuwaki Became Japan's Second Straight AIG Women's Open Winner
A final-round 70 put Kuwaki at 5-under 279. Henseleit then rolled in a 40-foot birdie on 18 to force a playoff. On the first playoff hole, Kuwaki scrambled from thick rough and stuck a wedge to three feet to save par. Henseleit, meanwhile, couldn't convert a 15-foot birdie look.
But the second playoff hole ultimately decided things. Henseleit's drive found a bush. She punched back to the fairway and stuck her approach, but her par effort fell short. Kuwaki knocked in a tap-in to claim the title.
Earlier in the day, Yealimi Noh held a three-shot lead through the front nine before consecutive bogeys dropped her to 4-under and solo third. Nelly Korda, the world No. 1, closed with a 68 but finished tied for fourth at 2-under.
For Kuwaki, the AIG Women's Open winner's trophy caps a steady climb.
She turned pro in 2021 and won three times on the JLPGA Tour in 2024, including the Tour Championship. The victory also earns her a five-year LPGA exemption. She had planned to attend qualifying this fall but chose to defer membership until 2027.
