Hinako Shibuno, the 2019 AIG Women’s Open Champion, added a birdie-filled 66 to her opening round of 69 to lead The Chevron Championship 2022 by a single shot.
This is the first time Shibuno has led a major at the half way stage since the 2020 US Open where she eventually finished fourth.
Shibuno, who missed the cut here in 2021, showed good form in Thailand last month when she finished T8 at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Known as the ‘Smiling Cinderella’ on her home Tour in Japan and now, around the world, Shibuno charmed the world’s media when she won the ’19 Women’s Open on what was her first international foray as a professional.
When she triumphed at Woburn, she introduced the charmed media to her love of snacks and that remained the theme three years later as she told the attending media at Mission Hills her plans for the weekend: “I’m going to do just same thing, and I’m going to eat and I’m going to sleep.”
She explained when she first played at Mission Hills she thought it would be a hard course for her to play but now she felt she had found the right approach: “If I’m swinging harder on the tee shot and make more, you know, decent shot on the second shot. Yeah. The rough, it’s a power from the rough.”
When asked how she’d changed since winning the AIG Women’s Open in 2019, Shibuno cheerfully delivered, “My game, golf game is not a lot different than I won 2019 British Open, but my personality is not different at all.” Adding with an engaging chuckle, “I eat a lot more snacks.”
Defending Champion Patty Tavatanakit and Americans Annie Park and Jennifer Kupcho are in T2 at -8 with Park shooting a 67, the second lowest round of the day behind Shibuno.
Tavatanakit, who finished with two closing birdies to sit only one shot back said: “This is actually the first time I actually kind of feel like I know what I’m doing on the putting green.
But other than that, I’m really proud with my approach shots as well. I been working really hard on that with my coach, Grant Waite, and keep improving.”
Park, who’s best finish in this Championship was a T56 in 2016, shot what is her lowest 36-hole total at a Major. The novelty of her situation, given her best major finish to date was a T18 in 2018 at KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, came across as Park spoke to the media following her round: “It’s great to see you again today. Just kind of like going back to what I said yesterday, just having fun out there. I think that’s kind of the biggest key, and it’s been a while that I’ve had a great time on the golf course.. But just overall it was a great day and I feel a lot better about my long game. Been putting a lot better. Made some really good putts out there. Did leave some out there but overall I’m stroking it pretty solid.”
In contention for the first time in a while, Park spoke candidly about how she had, at times, considered leaving the tour, “it feels good to be back. You know, I think for a while I thought about stepping away from the game. I mean, COVID really was long. Last year I took the two-month break just needing some time to myself. Yeah, I think last week was the first time I started to enjoy it again. Just not with golf, but just in general, like being able to see the spectators again and just having I think like this newfound passion for golf.”
Kupcho started and finished the day in second place and explained that gum, not patience was the key to her round. Having opened with 15 birdies before finally birdieing her 16th hole she said, “I wouldn’t say I stayed very patient. I definitely got a little angry. I mean, I threw in a piece of gum. That kind of tends to keep me more chill, and that certainly helps when I made the turn.”
With four Major winners amongst the top five players on the star-studded leaderboard, Hyo Joo Kim and Sei Young Park are in T5 at -7.
