Last updated: August 2026
| Full Name | Hinako Shibuno |
| Born | November 15, 1998, in Okayama, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Profession | Professional Golfer |
| Team/Club | LPGA Tour / JLPGA Tour |
Hinako Shibuno, nicknamed the “Smiling Cinderella,” is a Japanese professional golfer best known for winning the 2019 Women’s British Open in her first major championship start outside Japan. Her official LPGA Tour career earnings stand at roughly $3.1 million, though no reliable, independently verified total net worth figure for Shibuno exists publicly — estimates circulating online are not sourced to verifiable financial disclosures and should be treated skeptically.
Early Life & Family
Shibuno was born on November 15, 1998, in Okayama, Japan, and turned professional in 2018 after a successful amateur career in Japan.
Rise to Fame
Her breakthrough moment came in August 2019, when she won the AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn Golf Club, becoming the first Japanese player to win the tournament and only the second golfer in the modern era to win a major on their first attempt outside their home tour. Her infectious smile throughout that week earned her the nickname “Smiling Cinderella” and made her a major star in Japan.
Career History
Shibuno’s professional record includes six wins on the JLPGA of Japan Tour, one win on the Ladies European Tour, and the 2019 AIG Women’s British Open on the LPGA Tour. In the 2026 season she made 12 LPGA starts with 7 cuts made and one top-10 finish (a tie for 17th at the U.S. Women’s Open), and she finished T24 at LPGA Q-Series in order to secure her LPGA Tour status.
How They Built Their Wealth
Shibuno’s income comes from tournament prize money — roughly $3.1 million in official LPGA Tour earnings over her career, plus additional earnings on the JLPGA of Japan Tour — along with endorsement deals with sponsors including Ping, Oakley, the Japanese clothing brand Beams, Suntory and AIG. No reliable total net worth figure is publicly available; her overall wealth cannot be confidently estimated from prize money alone since endorsement terms are not disclosed.
More than six years after her breakout major win, Hinako Shibuno remains one of Japan’s most recognizable golfers, splitting her competitive schedule between the LPGA and JLPGA tours.