Chun In-gee loses British Open playoff to Ashleigh Buhai

Golf

Published: 08 Aug. 2022, 16:38

Chun In-gee loses British Open playoff to Ashleigh Buhai

Chun In-gee chips onto the 7th green during her final round on day four of the 2022 Women's British Open Golf Championship in Muirfield, Scotland on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai, left, hugs Chun In-gee on the 18th green after winning the Women's British Open in Muirfield, Scotland on Sunday. [AP/YONHAP]

Chun In-gee narrowly missed out on the last major trophy of the LPGA season, after Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa outlasted Chun in a four-hole, sudden-death playoff at the AIG Women's Open on Sunday.

After playing 72 holes, Chun and Buhai were tied at 10-under-par on Sunday and the match was pushed to a sudden-death playoff.

Chun and Buhai both saved par on the first playoff hole, then both bogied the second playoff hole. The two parred again on their third trip back to the 18th hole.

Both players' forms wavered on their fourth tee shot of the playoff, as Chun landed close to the face of a fairway bunker and Buhai's second shot also ended up in the greenside bunker. However, Buhai was able to execute a clutch save from the bunker and line up the putt for a par save.

Slotting in her par putt, Buhai won her first-ever LPGA title and became the second women's major winner from South Africa.

The loss hits Chun harder this time as if she had won, she would have not only won the Rolex Annika Major Award but also achieved a career grand slam.

A grand slam in golf is the achievement of winning four of five majors at any point during a player's career. Chun has won three out of the five LPGA majors, having won the U.S. Women's Open in 2015, the Evian Championship in 2016 and the KPMG Women's PGA Championship this season.

"I think I did what I can do," Chun said after the final round on Sunday. "Ashleigh made a great up-and-down on 18. Almost close, but still, I don't want to give up and I just want to look for another tournament, another day."

Sunday's runner-up performance is Chun's best result at the AIG Women's Open and her third top-10 finish in eight appearances at the event.

"I think now I have a lot of confidence I can play well at links courses," said Chun.

The LPGA Tour continues with its European swing in Antrim, Northern Ireland, where golfers will tee off at the ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics on Thursday.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]