Haru Nomaru becomes second-ever Japanese winner of Women’s Australian Open

Some supreme golf from Japan’s Haru Nomaru saw her beat world number one Lydia Ko to claim the 2016 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

Japan’s Haru Nomura has shown some extreme poise to win the 2016 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. Nomura held off a series of contenders including world number one Lydia Ko and Australia’s Karrie Webb to post a stunning final round 7-under par to take victory by three strokes.

Not since the inaugural Women’s Australian Open in 1974 when legendary Chako Higuchi won at Victoria Golf Club has another Japanese player hoisted the Women’s Australian Open trophy.

With plenty of challengers for the title, Nomura played some sublime golf to take victory on a hot day at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide. In fact Nomura’s only blemish came on the final hole when she found the greenside bunker and failed to get down for par.

But the hard work had already been done and she had plenty of strokes up her sleeve to secure victory.

After taking an early share of the lead Karrie Webb fell away after a series of missed putts but Lydia Ko was still very much in sight of the lead and it appeared the tournament would go down to the wire.

Even after Nomura made birdie at the 15th hole, Ko was just a shot behind. But as the 23-year-old Nomura would later admit later, she simply tried to play the golf course than any other player.

Consecutive birdies at the 16th and 17th saw Haru walk to the 18th tee with a three shot buffer and her first LPGA Tour victory was in sight.