Women’s Open: Ashleigh Buhai says 2022 win sparked ‘best eight months of career’

Ashleigh Buhai says winning last year’s AIG Women’s Open was the spark that led to the most successful period in her 16 years as a professional.

Buhai has since won the Women’s Australian Open and South African Women’s Open.

“It gave me the confidence that I could win in the biggest pressure situation,” she told BBC Sport.

“It’s been the best eight months of my career.”

Buhai, who will attempt to defend her Women’s Open title at Walton Heath in Surrey from 10 August, said she will not put pressure on herself when she sees the course for the first time in the week of the championship.

“You’ve got to treat every tournament the same,” she said.

“When I rock up and play any of the majors, I do the same preparation week in and week out to create consistency.

“You can’t put one on a bigger pedestal than the other because it creates more anxiety and tension.

“To defend would be the ultimate goal, but what I’ve learned over past year and a half on the mental side is, once you start setting outcome goals, that’s where your mind kind of goes to.

“The way you achieve outcome goals is sticking to the processes.”

The Women’s Open is the last of the five annual majors and ends a run of four in two months with this month’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship being followed by the US Women’s Open and Amundi Evian Championship in July.

For the first time the Women’s Open will feature live music, with Ellie Goulding headlining a free concert for ticket holders after play on Saturday.

“It’s the best thing ever,” said Buhai. “We have always had really good crowds when we have come to Scotland and England. It’s always been a really well supported championship.

“But this is a fantastic way to attract new people to golf. It’s going to create some buzz and excitement.”

Walton Heath is perhaps best remembered for hosting the 1981 Ryder Cup, when the United States beat Europe 18½-9½.