This girl was amazing. It was almost magical the way she won, she is so lovely and a great ball striker. Definitely will be looking out for her and wish her all the best
While watching this british women's open, I was really impressed by her attitude and behaviors in addition to her skill and mentality. I have watched many Korean women players playing in the LPGA games. Of course there have been few exceptional cases, but mostly Korean lady golfers were very strict and solemn. I understand their tension and stress to win the games. But they have not shown themselves enjoying the games. As a Korean fan, I used to be disappointed at their strict and hard appearances while playing games. Some players have never reacted to the actions of fans. In case of Hinako, she is not only good at playing but dynamic and active while playing with great and charming smiles. This is, I think, what the Korean lady golfers should learn or benchmark from her. So I hope her advent in the international competition meaningful stimulus to Korean lady golfers thinking over their future attitudes.
I love her!!!! Her smile is infectious and what a hell of a golfer! She is what every golfer should be like with the fans!!! She interacted with the kids and smiled all the way through the matches. I would love to see more of Hinako.
One of the sports stories of the year. What a putt on 18. Her demeanor.. her smile.. I have never seen anyone enjoy playing golf that much. Add in the fact it's her first major, first LPGA event, first time being outside of Asia and the fact her manager DRESSED UP IN A BLUE COSTUME TO MAKE HER LAUGH ON THE COURSE... I mean, this might go down as one of the greatest stories of all time. And that smile!!! Congratulations Hinako Shibuno!!! Aka the Smiling Cinderella!!!
You had to see it with your own eyes. She was amazing. She's 20 years old and this was her first LPGA event. Her first event outside of Japan ( where she's won twice this year as a rookie ). She knew nothing about the course. She showed up expecting a links course ( it was inland and tree lined ). Teeing off Thursday, no one knew who she was. By late Saturday she had won the crowd by firing a 30 on the back 9 taking a 2 shot lead. But how she did it. Saturday after birdieing 17 to take a one shot lead she stops to autograph a glove for a young fan and poses for a picture with the youngster. Then she walks to the 18th tee, high fives everyone and birdies 18. Sunday comes and she's one over at the turn and trailing by 2. Back in Japan she's known as "the smiling Cinderella". It was looking like this Cinderella story was going to come crashing down. You know the chariot-pumpkin --- whatever. Not so fast. Unfazed she fired a 5 under 31 on the back 9 and wins by a stroke !! Smiling, laughing with high fives for the fans all the way. She was mugging for the TV cameras while tied for the lead. Having the time of her life. Walking to the 18th green with the score tied she bowed to the crowd ! Japanese style. She bowed to the crowd ! She was away and first to putt and needed a 20 foot birdie putt to win. She took no time over the ball and hammered it. It clanked it the back of the hole. Had it missed it would have rolled 10 feet past and maybe no playoff. BUT IT WENT IN !!! 30 seconds later she's rubbing the goosebumps on her arms. It all happened so fast. What a sight. Unforgettable. I must say Lizette Salas played her heart out and was terrific. It was an amazing tournament with 5 players within 1 shot of the lead with 4 to play. World #1 Jin Young Ko almost won her 3rd major of the year. I'd love to see Hinako competing regularly on the LPGA tour. As a fan I want to see the best against the best all of the time. I believe Hinako would be a star. She's a ray of sunshine. Bubbly. Effervescent. She plays quickly and confidently. She pipes her drives. She gets on with it. She'll never be on the clock. She'd fit right in the top 10 somewhere and make a strong field even stronger. A crying shame she's not coming stateside. Maybe it's all too sudden and she'll join the LPGA in 2 years. I sure hope so. I expect to see her in the Olympics next year.
Wonderful performance, Hinako Shibuno is a real golden rookie. She did repeat In Gee Chun at her first appearance with a winner at the USGA Major in 2015. Clap, clap, clap, clap to little Hinako. (From Rio).
Thank you from Japan, actuary Japan and Korea are not good relationship recently...but I respect Korean people, culture , food...we should helps each other. We can understand.
Rama Aspire That's right. I have also been to Thailand once. Thai people were very kind to Japanese people. We were playing golf. Then the previous group asked us where came from?We told them we were from Japan. They welcomed us and told us to play golf together. It was a lot of fun. We wanted to call a taxi to go back to the hotel after playing golf, but the golf staff didn't understand English. Thai people who understand English helped us if we were in trouble. Thank you everyone.
Congratulations!! Sweet,Hinako! Already a star,probably be the biggest star, this will be the start of legent, you could provide delight,gratitude,bright and courage to the world.
First international tournament, but she won. She beat all the world class players. It is a story and a kind of big wake - up call to the world. Positive mind and already made gratitude can lead to impossible result with glory. Huge congratulation to Hinako. You are the model of how humble Asian show our respect to people. Your nodding tells more than that. I became your big big fan. I want to see your lovely smile again on the field. Keep going!!! You are the best champion.
As japanese descendent, I feel sorry for all this trouble between Japan and Korea. I would like to thank you for support and your kind words toward Hinako Shibuno. I am big fan of golf and enjoyed watching her play. She is very funny.
Congrats for her, any Japanese players NOT having the win for 42yrs! The interview, interactive both Japanese and English is very fun and interesting. The translator had a good job between her and interviewers. Watching the recorded VTR in several time after her win, we are very proud of it as Japanese! Congrats, Hinako! Smiling Cinderella continues to win the games and make us fun from now! Road to win the Olympics games in Tokyo 2020 at first!
congrats, Hinako ! we love you and natural face. you got the third championship this year, two in japan and british. good luck for long time of your professional golf.
She was so fun to watch. Her energy, her aura, you wanted her to win. When she drilled that putt in on 18, what a feeling. So happy for her. Salas, Ko, and Pressel gave it a run. Shibuno was destined. Smiling Cindarella, welcome to the world!
今回は"お菓子"はsweetsじゃなくてsnacksだろうなぁ。 I guess she loves Japanese snacks, especially cheap and ordinary ones, not sweets as the interpreter mentioned. she had salty snack made from cod fish while playing. And she mentioned she loves sour and salty squid and Kombu seaweed in the interview.
She is just like JY Ko has great smile and big heart, i am so jealous them. As a Chinese i wish Chinese young girl can really open up do much better after Shanshan.
Especially because I find word-play and rhyming are at the core of the British sense of humour much like the traditional Japanese sense of humour, I'd have wished that the sense of humour was shared among spectators and everyone else alike, but probably too difficult to explain quickly in the atmosphere to those who are not familiar with Japanese everyday food. The savoury snack she was eating is made from mashed cod (cod is called "tara" in Japanese) and the pun in the (brand) name of the snack "tara tara shitenja nee yo" is something like "don't be lying lazy, you b&st+rd" in English). Humorous is the fact that she was in the very situation where she should not be "tara tara" (tara tara is an expression showing a state of being lazy), whilst munching it to take her mind off the pressure.
ここの通訳の英語は素晴らしい。とても上品で、歯切れもいい。宮里藍ちゃんのご主人だというが、彼の英語のうまさがわからん人間、自分では通訳もできない人間はコメントなんかしないでほしい。 (The interpreter is excellent. I say, "excellent." His pronunciation is, of course, perfect. )
I’m happy for her and sad for Salas. That was a great final-round to watch. LPGA is at its peak. The men have nothing on them from a viewing standpoint.