Ryggs Johnston, named after the last lead in Mel Gibson’s ‘Lethal Weapon’, claims shock victory while former women’s world No 1 Jiyai Shin holds off defending champion Ashleigh Buhai; Johnston, Curtis Luck and Marc Leishman win exemptions to next year’s Open Championshipl
South Korea’s Jiyai Shin won the women’s trophy in the dual-gender event by two, overcoming defending champion Ashleigh Buhai to claim the title 11 years after her first.
While Shin made sure of her win by storming to a seven-stroke lead midway through, American rookie Johnston wielded magic on the back nine greens to see off an unlikely challenge from unheralded Western Australian Curtis Luck.
Jasper Stubbs and Marc Leishman were a shot further back.
Johnston, the 24-year-old from Libby, Montana, carded a final round 68 for an 18-under total of 269, winning in his second start on the DP World Tour and claiming exemption to next year’s Open Championship.
I turned up pretty tired already from the all travel, Q- school and everything,” said former Arizona State golfer Ryggs.
I couldn’t get a practice round [at Kingston Heath] with the weather. I didn’t really have any expectations and it probably helped in the end.