A Major trophy 'a good problem to have' as SA's Buhai prepares to defend British Open title

As South Africa's latest Major winner, Ashleigh Buhai, prepares to defend her title at the British Open in August, she can look back on what she calls "the best eight months" of her career, and hopes her achievements have sparked some inspiration among the country's women's golfers.

Last year, Buhai made history at Muirfield when she became the first South African women's golfer to win a Major championship since 1988.

In doing so, she joined an elite list as the third South African woman to win a Major behind Sally Little and Alison Sheard.

It didn't come easy. In a thrilling playoff with South Korea's Chun In-gee, Buhai tapped in for par on the fourth hole to win her maiden Major title at the historic Scottish golf course, emulating Ernie Els' 2002 Open title win.

"It was a bit of a whirlwind, a lot more adjusting to my time and people wanting a few more things from me at tournaments," Buhai said in a Women's Open press conference on Tuesday.

"Traveling around with the trophy has been a fun experience. Although, as an extra piece of hand luggage, it is quite heavy, and that's been a good problem to have. It's been a really fun journey so far."

Shortly after victory in Scotland, Buhai ended off the year in style with an Australian Open win, a DP World Tour event, at Victoria Golf Club in December.

With the big wins came big attention, but the same composure the 34-year-old displayed at Muirfield held firm on home shores when she sealed her fourth SA Women's Open title by four strokes at Steenberg Golf Club in March.

"It's been the best, really, eight months of my career ... I think that (the SA Open) was the most pressure I put on myself, being my home title and wanting to win really badly, and I just managed to get the job done