Ashleigh Ann Buhai (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Simon, born 11 May 1989) is a South African

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

, who won the 2022 Women's Open, one of the major championships in women's golf.

Amateur career

Buhai had a successful amateur career. She was the youngest player to win the ladies’ South African Amateur Stroke Play and Match Play double. She represented her country in the mainly professional

Women's World Cup of Golf The Women's World Cup of Golf was a professional golf tournament contested by teams of two female golfers representing their respective countries. The tournament was played in two incarnations, first in 2000 at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, Co ...

three times while still an amateur.

Professional career

Buhai turned professional the day after her 18th birthday. She won the 2007

Catalonia Ladies Masters The Catalonia Ladies Masters was a professional golf tournament on the Ladies European Tour that was held in Spain. It was first held in 2004 and dropped from the tour in 2008. Karine Icher won the inaugural event on 17-under-par 190 with a sco ...

, which was her third event as a professional. She became the youngest ever professional winner on the Ladies European Tour (South Korea's

Amy Yang Amy Yang, also known as Yang Hee-Young ( ko, 양희영, born 28 July 1989) is a South Korean professional golfer, currently playing on the United States-based LPGA Tour and on the Ladies European Tour (LET). Amateur career Yang began playing go ...

won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters at a younger age as an amateur). Ashleigh now plays under the name Ashleigh Buhai after marrying her husband, David, in December 2016. Buhai earned her

LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...

card for 2014 at

qualifying school In professional golf, the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S.-based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the ...

. On 7 August 2022, after 221 LPGA Tour starts, Buhai won her first major title by winning the

AIG Women's Open The Women's Open (originally known as the Women's British Open, and still widely referred to by that name outside the UK) is a major championship in women's professional golf. It is recognised by both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tou ...

Muirfield Muirfield is a privately owned golf links which is the home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Located in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Forth, Muirfield is one of the golf courses used in rotation for The ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. She defeated

Chun In-gee Chun In-gee ( ko, 전인지, born 10 August 1994), also known as In Gee Chun, is a South Korean professional golfer. She was born in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province. She is a three-time major champion, having won the 2015 U.S. Women's Open, th ...

on the fourth hole of sudden-death playoff after both players finished regulation play at −10. In December 2022, Buhai won the

ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open The Women's Australian Open is a women's professional golf tournament played in Australia, operated by Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia, long co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET). Beginning with the 2012 event, it i ...

by 1 stroke over

Jiyai Shin Jiyai Shin (Korean: 신지애 ''Shin Ji-ae'', ; born 28 April 1988) is a former world No. 1 ranked South Korean professional golfer who primarily plays on the LPGA of Japan Tour as of the 2020 golf season. She previously played primarily on the ...

Amateur wins

*2004 Jack Newton Junior International Classic (Australia), South African Amateur Stroke Play, South African Amateur Match Play *2005 South African Amateur Stroke Play *2006 South African Amateur Stroke Play, South African Amateur Match Play, AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions (USA) *2007 South African Amateur Stroke Play, South African Amateur Match Play

Professional wins (19)

LPGA Tour wins (1)

Co-sanctioned by the

Ladies European Tour The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1978. It is based at Buckinghamshire Golf Club near London in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal stru ...

. LPGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

Ladies European Tour wins (4)

Co-sanctioned by the

Sunshine Ladies Tour The Sunshine Ladies Tour is a professional golf tour for women based in South Africa. Schedule Since the inaugural 2014 season, tournaments have averaged around ten per season and been concentrated in the January–March window. Sponsors have i ...

.
Co-sanctioned by the

. Ladies European Tour playoff record (1–0)

Sunshine Ladies Tour wins (11)

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

(3) Chase to Investec Cup Glendower,

Ladies Tshwane Open The Ladies Tshwane Open was a women's professional golf tournament held near Pretoria, Tshwane, South Africa. It was an event on the Southern Africa-based Sunshine Ladies Tour between 2014 and 2019. Winners See also *Tshwane Open The Tsh ...

Chase to Investec Cup Blue Valley Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national bank based in New York City, New York * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturing company * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in England * Chase Co ...

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

(1)

Sunshine Ladies Tour Open The Joburg Ladies Open is a women's professional golf tournament held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is an event on the Southern Africa-based Sunshine Ladies Tour since 2015 and starting in 2022 co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour. ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

(3)

Cape Town Ladies Open The Cape Town Ladies Open is a golf tournament on the Sunshine Ladies Tour in Cape Town, South Africa. It has been played annually at Royal Cape Golf Club since 2015, except in 2020 when it was played at the King David Mowbray Golf Club and ...

Sun International Ladies Challenge The Sun International Ladies Challenge was a women's professional golf tournament held in Sun City, South Africa. It was an event on the Southern Africa-based Sunshine Ladies Tour between 2014 and 2017. The tournament was held at the two cour ...

, Investec Royal Swazi (Ladies) *

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

(2)

Joburg Ladies Open The Joburg Ladies Open is a women's professional golf tournament held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is an event on the Southern Africa-based Sunshine Ladies Tour since 2015 and starting in 2022 co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour. ...

Investec South African Women's Open The South African Women's Open is a golf tournament. It was first played in 1988, is sanctioned by the Women's PGA of South Africa and is played as part of the Sunshine Ladies Tour. The tournament has been co-sanctioned by the Ladies European To ...

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

(1) Canon Sunshine Ladies Tour Open *

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

(1)

Jabra Ladies Classic The Jabra Ladies Classic is a women's professional golf tournament held at Glendower Golf Club near Johannesburg, South Africa. It has been an event on the Southern Africa-based Sunshine Ladies Tour since 2014. The 2022 event saw a battle betwe ...

Co-sanctioned by the

Other wins (5)

*2004

Acer South African Women's Open The South African Women's Open is a golf tournament. It was first played in 1988, is sanctioned by the Women's PGA of South Africa and is played as part of the Sunshine Ladies Tour. The tournament has been co-sanctioned by the Ladies European To ...

(as an amateur) *2005 Pam Golding Classic (Ladies Africa Tour) (as an amateur) *2006 Nedbank Masters (Ladies Africa Tour) (as an amateur) *2007

(as an amateur) *2022

Major championships

Wins (1)

Results timeline

''Results not in chronological order before 2019 or in 2020.'' ^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013. CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = no tournament
T = tied

Summary

*Most consecutive cuts made – 4 (2016 British – 2017 British) *Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)

World ranking

Position in

Women's World Golf Rankings The Women's World Golf Rankings, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Rolex Rankings, were introduced in February 2006. They are sanctioned by eight women's golf tours and the organisations behind them: Ladies Professional Golf Association (L ...

at the end of each calendar year.

Team appearances

Amateur *

Espirito Santo Trophy The Espirito Santo Trophy (World Women's Amateur Team Championships) is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for women organised by the International Golf Federation. The inaugural event was held in 1964. It was instituted by the Fren ...

(representing South Africa):

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

(winners) Professional *

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

(representing South Africa): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buhai, Ashleigh South African female golfers Ladies European Tour golfers LPGA Tour golfers Winners of LPGA major golf championships Olympic golfers of South Africa Golfers at the 2016 Summer Olympics Golfers from Johannesburg 1989 births Living people