[British Open Champion!] Shiho Kuwaki’s Steady Rise—and the Big Dreams Driving Her Next Chapter

Shiho Kuwaki’s (23) press conference in Tokyo on August 4, held immediately after her victory at an overseas major, was bright and cheerful from start to finish, with the room repeatedly breaking into laughter.

“On the night I won, I celebrated with beer and a highball. The first sip was really delicious. It was a little warm, though, which was disappointing,” she laughed.

She said she saw her parents at a meal after her victory, but does not remember them exchanging any words of congratulations.

“Maybe my family didn’t say anything at all. Oh—they did say, ‘Can I have some fried rice?’” she joked. “As for stories about embarrassing things I’ve done while drinking, I can’t tell you. Not in front of this many people,” she added with a laugh.

Even after reaching the pinnacle of the golfing world, she does not try to make herself seem bigger than she is. Kuwaki’s unguarded smile and quick, easygoing responses revealed her down-to-earth personality.

The mentor behind her remarkable achievement

On August 2, Kuwaki captured her first overseas major title at the AIG Women’s Open in the United Kingdom. She became the seventh Japanese player to win an overseas women’s major, following Hisako Higuchi (80), Hinako Shibuno (27), Yuka Saso (25), Ayaka Furue (26), Mao Saigo (24), and Miyu Yamashita (25). Since Saso has won twice, it marked the eighth major victory overall by a Japanese player. At the Women’s Open since it became a major championship, Kuwaki was the third Japanese winner, following Shibuno in 2019 and Yamashita in 2025.

“It’s gradually starting to sink in now. I’ve gained about 10,000 followers on Instagram, which surprised me a little.”

Still, her triumph at the Women’s Open did not come out of nowhere. It was preceded by two victories on the domestic tour this season.

In 2024, she won three tournaments during the year and also captured the season-ending JLPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup. However, in the following season, when even greater things were expected of her, she failed to win a single tournament. A key turning point was the presence of her coach, Saori Iwamoto (55), who had been guiding her since her junior high school days.

“I think I was feeling impatient last season. I was too focused on results and wasn’t paying attention to the substance of my game. I could only see the negative things, so I lost sight of what my strengths were. But my coach praised me so much that realizing what my strengths were may have given me confidence.”

For example, even when she was struggling with her putting and feeling uncertain, her coach praised the shots she was able to hit without losing confidence. Rather than judging herself solely by the results, Kuwaki gradually learned to focus on the quality of her play and the small improvements she was making.

That change began to show in her results at the Sky RKB Ladies Classic in May. She shot a final-round 65 to finish at 15 under par, earning her first victory since 2024. The win—her first in about a year and a half—helped her regain the confidence she had begun to lose.

She then finished tied for 14th at the U.S. Women’s Open, another overseas major. Looking back, she said she had been able to compete at a higher level than I had expected, and the experience gave her confidence that she could hold her own on the world stage.

Then, at the Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies in June, she remained composed even after her three-shot lead was erased in the final round.

“I knew it was going to be a difficult situation, but I had kept my mistakes to a minimum, so I believed that would pay off on the back nine.”

That was how Kuwaki reflected on the tournament afterward. It was the kind of situation that might once have rattled her, but this time she stayed focused on her own golf and finished at 19 under par to claim her second victory of the season. Along with the experience of deliberately setting out to win and seeing it through, she also earned her place in the Women’s Open on her own merit.

She learned to enjoy the wind she once struggled with

At last year’s Women’s Open, Kuwaki was unable to cope with the strong winds and missed the cut. She said crosswinds and headwinds disrupted her swing, throwing off the rhythm of her shots as well. Determined to learn from that disappointment, she spent this season practicing how to keep her body steady through her swing, while repeatedly working on low shots that held their line toward the intended target.

At this year’s Women’s Open, she sank long putts on each of the first two days to improve her score. On a course surrounded by numerous bunkers along the fairways, she found the sand only twice over all four rounds. The accuracy of her driving—one of her greatest strengths—became a major weapon. After the third round, she stood in second place, three strokes behind the leader. On the final day, she played while recalling the mental approach that had helped her win the Suntory Ladies.

“I was able to enjoy all four days and really enjoy being out there playing. Rather than feeling nervous, I was able to stick with the mindset of enjoying myself all the way to the end.”

In the past, even short putts had made her nervous, and she had cried after missing the cut at overseas majors. This time, however, she said she was able to enjoy the wind that had once been her weakness. The shots she had practiced flew where she intended, and those results built upon one another. Gradually, pressure was transformed into enjoyment.

That said, Kuwaki herself does not believe she has become a completely different person mentally. When asked whether she thought she might never cry again, she immediately replied:

“No, that’s not true. I think I’d still cry if I missed the cut,” she said with a laugh.

The press room once again erupted in laughter. It was not that she had stopped feeling emotions. Rather, she had learned how to focus on the next shot even while carrying disappointment and anxiety.

The playoff perfectly illustrated that change. The moment she saw her tee shot disappear into the bushes, she recalled thinking, “Ah, it’s over.” But her caddie snapped her back to reality, telling her:

“If you can get it close with your third shot, you can put pressure on your opponent. Once you give up, it’s over.”

Rather than rushing her next shot, she calmly played the ball back into the fairway. Then, with her third shot from about 80 yards, she put the ball close to the pin.

“Rather than just trying to get it close, I hit it with the intention of making it.”

Even at the most critical moment, she maintained her usual rhythm—and that one shot ultimately helped carry her to the top of the world.

Kuwaki Shibuki’s nails and vibrant outfits are also part of being herself

It wasn’t just Kuwaki’s play that drew attention at the Women’s Open. Her colorful outfits and vibrant nail designs also caught the eyes of galleries at the tournament.

According to Kuwaki, spectators told her, “Those are nice pants,” while both gallery members and security staff complimented her nails, saying, “That’s a great color.” One Korean media outlet even described her as a fashion queen who broke through the rigid culture of golf courses. When the interviewer told her about it, Kuwaki looked surprised for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“I somehow don’t feel like I’m being complimented, though,” she laughed. “But I think it’s better to make an impact than not make one, so I’m happy.”

For Kuwaki, her nails and clothing aren’t simply about standing out. Competing while expressing her own style is one of the things that helps lift her spirits. With her sights set on joining the U.S. tour next season, she also has a clear reason for embracing that approach.

“If I’m going to play on the American tour, I want people to remember my name, and I definitely want to stand out. So I think these outfits might suit me.”

Her next goal this season is to become the overall champion of the Japan women’s tour. The 800 points she earned for winning the Women’s Open moved her into first place in the season-long points rankings, and she has made it clear that she intends to challenge herself on the U.S. tour beginning next season.

While she may not match some overseas players in driving distance, she hasn’t lost sight of her strengths, saying, “I want to make lots of good plays with the accuracy of my shots.” She has climbed to No. 16 in the world rankings—the third-highest-ranked Japanese player—and is now within reach of another dream: “I’d like to try competing in the Olympics in two years.”

Incidentally, she gave the ball and glove she used to clinch her victory to a junior golfer who was there. Kuwaki herself started playing golf at the age of four and once watched on television as fellow Okayama native Hinako Shibuno won the Women’s Open.

“I’d be happy if seeing me makes more junior golfers want to work hard again,” she said.

When asked what kind of professional golfer she hopes to become, Kuwaki answered:

“I want to become someone that junior golfers look up to. I’ll keep working hard so that I can continue to shine.”

She turned the frustration of a winless season into an opportunity to rediscover her strengths. Two victories in Japan helped her regain her confidence, and the belief she gained from competing in an overseas major ultimately led to her triumph at the Women’s Open. Her nails, her vibrant outfits, and her unguarded smile are all part of who Shibuki Kuwaki is.

The 23-year-old won a major while remaining completely herself. Now, as she looks toward becoming Japan’s season champion, competing on the U.S. tour, and perhaps even reaching the Olympics, expectations for just how far she can go continue to grow.