HOUSTON – Hinako Shibuno can do without the “Cinderella” nickname, just not the smile. That was bright as ever Friday as the Japanese star posted a 4-under 67 and opened a three-shot lead going into the weekend of the U.S.
Women's Open.Shibuno's lone mistake on a damp, soft day at Champions Golf Club was a three-putt bogey on the par-3 16th at the Jackrabbit course.
Her objective was to avoid dropping more shots by being overly aggressive. She wound up with a 10-foot birdie putt to restore her lead over Arizona State sophomore Linn Grant of Sweden.Shibuno rose to sudden fame in the summer of 2019 when she won the Women's British Open at Woburn, the first major for the 22-year-old and her first time playing outside Japan.