Ashleigh Buhai is the defending Women’s Australian Open champion is eyeing a hat-trick of Patricia Bridges Bowls in Melbourne.
It’s not easy to earn records in Australian women’s golf considering the great Karrie Webb dominated the game Down Under – not to mention the LPGA Tour in the US – for so long. But South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai – let’s call her “Aussie Ash” – will shoot for a rare historical feat this month. At the Women’s Australian Open in Melbourne, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary, the 35-year-old from Johannesburg will attempt to become the first player to win the event three years in a row. Webb claimed five victories in her brilliant career, but the most consecutive times she hoisted the Patricia Bridges Bowl was twice (2007-2008). Webb also grabbed two titles in three years between 2000 and 2002. A ‘three-peat’ has never been done.
Buhai’s dominance at the Women’s Australian Open since it became a mixed event in 2022 – with the men’s, women’s and All-Abilities Australian Open fields playing concurrently across two courses – is fitting considering Buhai developed a love affair with Australia upon her first trip here 23 years ago. Three years after her maiden voyage, the girl named Ashleigh Simon enjoyed success in Australia at the 2004 Jack Newton Junior International Classic. Her first big Australian victory as a pro was the 2022 Women’s Australian Open at Kingston Heath and Victoria, where she defeated Jiyai Shin by a shot. That came only months after she had won the Women’s Open at Muirfield for her first major. Buhai successfully defended her Australian Open crown last year, at co-hosts The Lakes and The Australian, where she held off two-time major winner Minjee Lee, also by one shot.
In preparation for her defence, Buhai opened up on why she loves Australia, the Melbourne Sandbelt, what a three-peat would mean and where the atmosphere ranks in global women’s golf.
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I’m really chuffed to be coming back to Australia to try to defend for a second time. I’m excited that we’re going back to Melbourne to play Kingston Heath and Victoria, two fantastic golf courses.
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It would be a huge honour to get my name on that trophy again. There are some greats on there [such as Webb, Annika Sorenstam, Nelly Korda]. To be the first to win it three consecutive times would be so special, but also there’s extra pressure. There’s obviously going to be some good competition in Melbourne so I’ll have to play well.
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It’s been a little bit of an up-and-down season. From May through July, I was dealing with a back injury and on top of that I broke my toe. I didn’t play for six weeks heading into the Olympics [in August]. But I’m starting to trend nicely.
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What I love about coming to Australia is I’ve been coming here since I was a junior – 12 years old. There’s a familiarity. I think South Africans and Australians, we have a lot in common in sport, food and weather. South Africans always feel comfortable here.
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You’ve got unbelievable golf courses, especially on the Sandbelt. It’s a style of golf where you have to be creative, flight the ball and be smart. I think it suits my game.
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I’ve got family and friends who have already booked their flights to come to Melbourne, so it’s going to be exciting for me to see them and play in front of them again. Anytime you’re up against Aussies like Minjee [Lee], Hannah [Green], Grace [Kim] and Steph [Kyriacou], it’s always going to be tough.
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I think it’s amazing to have the men and women and All Abilities together. We know the men are the drawcards and bring in the crowds, but for us to be able to play in between all of them and to have those crowds all the way around, it just brings such an unbelievable atmosphere. I remember walking up No.18 [at The Australian Golf Club] last year and looking at that embankment. It was just full of people. I got goosebumps. I think it’s a great concept and I wish we did it more often around the world.
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Coming down the stretch and having to hold off Minjee, because she played so well on that Sunday, was amazing. I think anytime a South African beats an Aussie or an Aussie beats a South African, we like to have the bragging rights. I think for me this year it’s more that I love coming down here. It’s the most comfortable I feel other than when I play in South Africa, because of the support I get. I feel the Aussie crowds are very fair. Obviously on Sunday last year, they were ‘pulling’ for Minjee. But once I holed that winning put, they all cheered for me. It was fantastic.
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The Olympics this year in Paris were unreal. The crowds, the atmosphere, it’s the best I’ve ever played in front of. But I would say that the Aussie Open, in terms of the people and tournament and spectatorship, is the next best I’ve played in front of. It would be very exciting for us as women players if we were able to get more crowds like [the Australian Open], week in and week out.
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In 2022 [I played in the group in front of Adam Scott]. Growing up, Adam was one of my role models I looked up to. Being in the company of some of the best male golfers and women golfers in the world – I got to play with “Webby” the first two days – was very special for me.
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It will definitely help that I’ve played Kingston Heath and Victoria before, because we’re not too sure when we’re arriving in Melbourne. That depends on the [LPGA’s] CME Championship [held in Florida the week before]. It does impact when we’ll arrive. We are most likely only going to get to Australia on the Tuesday. It’s a little bit of a disadvantage, but having played both courses before, at least we’re not going into it completely blind. I can’t wait.
Featured image by Chris Coduto/getty images
