It was one of the best moments of the 2022 season – a victorious Ashleigh Buhai being lifted into the air by her husband, Dave, after capturing her first LPGA Tour title and major championship in a playoff at the 2022 AIG Women's Open, becoming the first woman to win a major at Muirfield. A year after that incredible Sunday, Buhai has handed over the trophy and is readying herself for the first title defense of her 16-year LPGA Tour career at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England.
"It's fantastic to be back. Just a whirlwind of a year, all the memories come flooding back from this past year and truly honored to be back as defending champion," Buhai said, who defeated In Gee Chun in a four-hole playoff to become a Rolex First-Time Winner. "What happened last year has given me the confidence to believe that I can win if I'm playing well, and that's proven over the last year what I've been able to do. Since obviously it's very difficult to defend, there's a lot of pressure but I'm trying not to put pressure on myself."
After last year's victory at Muirfield, Buhai went on to capture two other national opens, winning the 2022 ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open on the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the 2023 Investec South African Women's Open on the Ladies European Tour. She also has grabbed another win on the LPGA Tour, taking home the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer title earlier this season, winning by one shot over Hyo Joo Kim.
In addition to that victory in New Jersey, the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings No. 17 has five additional top-10 finishes on her 2023 resume, the most notable of which is a solo third that came at the Cognizant Founders Cup in May. Statistically, Buhai ranks second in sub-par holes (215), second in birdies (212), third in putts per green in regulation (1.75), and ninth in rounds under par (29). The South African is also 11th in driving accuracy (82.15%) and 12th in putting average (29.15).
With confidence as high as ever and a game that's as sharp as ever, the 34-year-old seems to be primed for success in Surrey, especially as she's been able to tweak a few things with her coach in recent days. But the veteran knows that she will have to keep the blinders on and stay focused amid the pressure and noise that comes with being a defending champion, even though it's her first time being one.
"My coach in South Africa made a few little touches yesterday," Buhai said. "The good thing is because we have been working together so long, nothing is ever major. I just kind of need a feel and once I have that feel, I've been going. So I'm hoping that we found it yesterday. We'll go out there today and see if it's stayed overnight. If I can take that feel into the week, then hopefully I will be able to compete.
"I'm trying to just enjoy being back here, being defending champion, and once I get out there on Thursday, not think about the outcome and just try and control what I can in my golf swing once I'm out on the course."
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