She made five birdies on her closing nine on Sunday which got Ashleigh Buhai into a play-off in the Cambia Portland Classic. But she fell just short of what would have been her maiden victory on the LPGA Tour.
She had just one bogey on her card – after the first of those back-nine birdies – and, together with the three birdies she made on her outward nine, she drew level with England’s Georgia Hall, who bogeyed the 18th while Buhai made birdie there.
Hall won with a par on the second hole of the play-off. gulation. The 24-year-old Englishwoman, the 2018 Women’s British Open champion, matched Buhai with a par on 18 on the first extra hole and won on the par-four first at Columbia Edgewater.
Despite not taking the victory, Buhai certainly saw positives in her day at Columbia Edgewater.
“I just got to keep doing what I’m doing with my swing. I felt very confident this week,” said Buhai, who earned her second career runner-up finish. “For me, once my putter got hot, then it started to show. I think what I found with my putting this week, if I can continue that, then everything should be good.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Buhai knows that her strong play will help propel her into some of the season’s biggest tournament.
“I’m proud of myself. Even in the play-off I executed it the way I wanted to,” said Buhai. “We go forward, and I know this will bump me up into CME and get me into US Open, so it takes care of a lot of stuff.”