‘Smiling Cinderella’ Hinako Shibuno leaves the rest frowning with power surge

Hinako Shibuno has never played a professional event outside Japan before, but the 20-year-old has a two-shot lead in the Women’s British Open after a remarkable climax to the third round.

With seven holes to play, Shibuno, the world No 46, was six behind her playing partner, the South African Ashleigh Buhai, who seemed set to emulate Shane Lowry’s runaway pillar-to-post success at Royal Portrush two weeks ago. Yet as Buhai faltered, bogeying three holes coming in, so her inspired younger rival picked up five birdies, including four of the last five to close on 14 under. The 67 to the 72 did not begin to describe how stunning this turnaround had been.

However, this is not a two-golfer race, because after Buhai’s mini collapse so many other competitors will be fancying their chances of lifting the trophy here on Sunday evening. These include England’s Charley Hull and Bronte Law, who find themselves five behind following a pair of 70s that took them to nine-under. If that still seems a sizeable deficit to overhaul, then consider that at one stage during this enthralling third round Hull was nine behind.

The 24-year-old from nearby Kettering dug deep into her extraordinary talent on her home course, picking up four birdies in five holes on the back nine. And with Law, the 24-year-old from Stockport, extending her remarkable bogey-free run to 54 holes, there should be plenty to excite the home crowd today.

“The front nine I didn’t actually feel like I hit a really bad shot,” Hull said. “I thought to myself on the back nine, ‘If I can just hit it just as good and hole a few putts …’ Hopefully I can have yesterday’s front nine and today’s back nine and that would be good. But just go out there, have fun. I’m hitting it well. I’m putting well and I’ve just got to be confident. There are so many fans out there rooting for me, that it is going to be good fun tomorrow.”

Without being cruel to the pacesetter, Buhai showed that supposedly imposing advantages can disappear quickly and cruelly on the Marquess Course. The pack is sensing blood and with predatory quality such as world No 2 Park Sung-hyun on 11 under after a 68, Americans Morgan Pressel and Lizette Salas alongside world No 1 Ko Jin-young on 10 under this could be a long day for the player who was largely unknown outside her country before these last three days.

They call her “Smiling Cinderella” in Japan and she has definitely come grinning to this particular ball. She lives on Honshu Island and is in her rookie year on the JLPGA Tour. She has won twice this season and has earned plaudits in her homeland, but nobody, not even her biggest fans, expected this. Shibuno travelled over to Woburn thinking that it was a links course on the seaside like she has seen on TV. Instead, Shibuno has lit up the Duke of Bedford’s woodland estate. What a winner she would be.

Alas, Georgia Hall’s reign as Women’s British Open champion looks almost certain to be over. With a 74 for a four-under total, her challenge effectively came to an end at the ninth. The 23-year-old was one under for the day and seven under overall when she arrived at the par four, but threatened to go off the satnav when she violently pulled her drive into what seemed like knee-high cabbage. Yet somehow, she managed to find some flat ground and was able to play it out on to the fairway. However, she could not capitalise on her good fortune.

With her third she missed the green and failed to get up and down. The double bogey sent her back into the pack and bogeys on the 12th and 13th sent her tumbling still. By then, she had to be resigned to the fact that her defence will not be a successful one.

That cannot come as too great a surprise as Hall has not recorded a top 20 since January.

Perhaps such a recalibration was inevitable following a standout season at a young age, but Catriona Matthew, the Europe captain, will be desperate to see the world No 30 recover her form in time for the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in six weeks.

Saying that, the Americans have hardly lit up the Duke of Bedford’s woodland estate. Juli Inkster, the US captain looking to lead her side to an unprecedented third successive victory, will be concerned to see only Pressel and Salas in the top 17. However, Pressel’s re-emergence could prove a precious silver lining for the Starred and Striped.

The 31-year-old has missed her last four cuts in succession, is down in 88th in the world rankings and is labouring outside the automatic top 10.

Pressel, who famously won a major – the Ana Inspiration – as a 17-year-old, could still qualify by right, with next week’s Scottish Ladies Open the last event in the race.

But with so many experienced campaigners – such as Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Stacy Lewis – also struggling in the Solheim standings, Pressel’s run could prove very nicely timed.

She reminded us of her tenacity by birdieing four of the final five holes, capped off by a beautiful approach to four feet for a birdie on the 18th.