Hinako Shibuno Still Stuck at Rock Bottom—When Will the Cinderella Smile Come Back?

Somehow, she needs a spark

“The comment she made after the round—‘I’m such a mess it makes me hold my head in my hands’—says it all. Her driver wasn’t stable, and she couldn’t make 2–3 meter putts. Honestly, it was a round with absolutely nothing good in it.”

This is how sports writer Myungwoo Kim (金明昱) described Hinako Shibuno’s (26) performance at the NOBUTA GROUP Masters GC Ladies, which concluded on October 26.

Shibuno has been competing in four consecutive domestic tour events since October 10. But after suffering an unexpected missed cut in the first event, she again struggled with her putting in this third event. On the final day’s back nine, after making her fourth three-putt, she tilted her head toward the sky in frustration. She finished tied for 47th—second to last, a humiliating result.

“In mid-October, she visited a famous putting studio in Fukuoka to analyze her form. She tried to seek answers through science, but even that didn’t yield results.” (ibid.)

Her struggles continue on the U.S. tour as well. This season, she has missed the cut in 11 of her 22 events. With only the season-ending tournament remaining in mid-November, unless she posts a near-winning result, she will lose her tour card for next year.

“She has announced that she’ll enter Q-School to fight for next season’s status, but in her current state, even success there seems unlikely. Rather than grinding through the lower tours, accepting the situation and attempting a comeback in the familiar environment of Japan may be an option. She’s in a negative cycle—fixing her form, seeing no results, becoming troubled, then tinkering with her form even more.

Even so, she finished 7th at the U.S. Women’s Open, one of the five majors. Shibuko’s strength on the big stage is still very much alive. I really hope she finds some spark to turn things around.” (ibid.)

A great many fans are eagerly waiting for the day when Shibuno’s Cinderella smile shines again on the podium.

—from “FRIDAY” combined issue, Nov. 14 & 21, 2025