While her closing eight-under-par 64 in the closing round of the LPGA Tour’s Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey was lost in the ballyhoo surrounding the winner, Ashleigh Buhai rocketed up the leaderboard to finish in a share of seventh.
Buhai moved to six-under-par for the tournament, and was three strokes behind the winner, Rose Zhang of the United States. Zhang won on her professional debut, beating countrywoman Jennifer Kupcho on the second hole of a play-off, and drawing praise from all over the golfing world.
Buhai started her final round blitz with four birdies in the fist six holes, before dropping her only shot of the day with a bogey on the seventh. There were two more birdies on eight and nine as she turned in five-under 31, and she made three birdies on her homeward nine, on the 12th, 13th and 16th. The next-best round after her 64 was a five-under 67 by Ireland’s Leona Maguire, who shared seventh with Buhai.
