[Source: Reuters]

South Korea’s Shin Jiyai overcame late nerves and a brave charge from double defending champion Ashleigh Buhai to seal her second Australian Open title with a two-stroke victory at a wet and wild Kingston Heath.

Former world number one Shin led by seven shots with eight holes to play but stumbled with late bogeys as South African Buhai cut the lead to two shots by the 18th with five birdies on the back nine.

Buhai’s last hope of forcing a playoff slid by the cup with a long, missed birdie putt, allowing Shin two putts for victory from six feet.

Shin drained it on the first attempt to finish with a final round 70 for a 17-under total of 274, claiming her 65th professional win across various circuits.

“It wasn’t easy but now I can breathe,” Shin said greenside before being doused in water by fellow South Korean golfers.

The stocky 36-year-old, also the 2013 champion, is South Korea’s most prolific winner and showed why as she shrugged off a double-bogey on the second hole by going birdie-eagle-birdie on the next three.

That opened a six-stroke lead over home hope Hannah Green, her closest overnight challenger, who promptly crashed with a triple-bogey on the seventh to all but end her chances.

Shin notched another eagle on the 10th to stretch her lead to seven shots over Buhai.

Buhai charged hard as Shin wobbled with bogeys on the 15th and 17th, but the South Africa’s bid for a third successive trophy fell just short.

South Korean amateur Yang Hyo-jin finished third on seven-under after carding a 72 in a hugely impressive display from the 17-year-old, who never had a practice round at Kingston Heath.

Major winner Green finished equal fourth with compatriot Grace Kim a shot further back as Australia’s hopes of a first home winner in the national women’s Open since 2014 were crushed for another year.