Who is Japanese golfer Hinako Shibuno? All you need to know about the 25-year-old

Hinako Shibuno is in contention to win the 2024 US Women's Open at the Lancaster Country Club. She is currently -3 and two strokes behind the leaders going into the final round. Since the Japanese golfer has already won a Major Championship, she has experience handling the pressure.

Hinako won the 2019 Women's British Open as she carded -18 for the event and defeated Lizette Salas by one stroke. She also got the nickname 'Smiling Cinderella' because of her warm smile.

With Shibuno in contention to lift her second Major Championship, here's all you need to know about the 25-year-old Japanese golfer.

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All you need to know about Hinako Shibuno

Hinako Shibuno was born on November 15, 1998 in Okayama, Japan. She took up golf at a young age and eventually turned pro in 2018 at the age of 20 and started competing in the LPGA of Japan.

She comes from a sporting background, as her father and mother were track and field athletes. Her father was a discus thrower, while her mother was a javelin thrower. Hence, she had a sporting culture in the family and grew up playing various sports like softball and baseball, but eventually took up golf.

In her career so far, Shibuno has quite a few achievements. In 2019, Hinako Shibuno received the JLPGA Player of the Year award with four victories in the season, including a Major Championship.

Hinako Shibuno in contention to win the 2024 US Women's Open

She registered her first victory on the Japanese Tour in May 2019 and eventually got into the field for the 2019 AIG Women's British Open. Shibuno surprised everyone by winning the Major, as this was her first start on foreign soil. She became the second Japanese golfer to win a Major Championship and the second golfer to win a Major event on debut.

She is one of the most famous entities in Japan, as she has endorsements with various Japanese companies. However, Shibuno is not necessarily enjoying this celebrity status.

“Once I became a celebrity and celebrity status, it made me difficult to be myself. So, just recently, I was able to get rid of my shell, so to speak, so that I could be myself again,” revealed the Japanese golfer at the US Women's Open.

The 25-year-old Japanese golfer has 6 JLPGA wins in her career. Hinako Shibuno has earned $1,308,290 in her career earnings. She also has 6 top-10 finishes in her career on the LPGA Tour. But the 2024 season has been below average, as she has missed 6 cuts in 9 events so far.

However, a strong finish at the Lancaster Country Club will boost her confidence and give her momentum for the remaining season.