The 2026 AIG Women's Open was played from 30 July to 2 August at the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Golf Links in Lancashire. It was the 50th Women's British Open, the 26th as a major championship on the LPGA Tour, and the seventh championship held under a sponsorship agreement with AIG.
Shiho Kuwaki won on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff with Esther Henseleit to claim her first major title.
Venue
Field The field was made up of 144 players. As with previous tournaments, most players earned exemptions based on past performance on the Ladies European Tour, the LPGA Tour, previous major championships, or with a high ranking in the Women's World Golf Rankings. The rest of the field earned entry by successfully competing in qualifying tournaments open to any female golfer, professional or amateur, with a low handicap.
Exemptions Players who are qualified for the event are listed below. Players are listed under the first category in which they qualified.
1. Winners of the Women's British Open, aged 60 or younger at the scheduled end of the championship, provided they are still active members of a recognised tour.
Ashleigh Buhai Georgia Hall Ariya Jutanugarn (5,7) In-Kyung Kim Lydia Ko (5,7) Anna Nordqvist Sophia Popov Hinako Shibuno Jiyai Shin Yani Tseng Lilia Vu (13) Miyū Yamashita (2,5,7,10)
2. The top 10 finishers and ties from the 2025 Women's British Open.
Hsu Wei-ling Charley Hull (5,7,10) Minami Katsu (5,7) Megan Khang Kim A-lim (5,7) Stephanie Kyriacou Paula Martín Sampedro (25) Rio Takeda (5,7) Lottie Woad (7,10)
3. The top 15 on the final 2025 LET Order of Merit.
Casandra Alexander (7) Helen Briem (10) Perrine Delacour Cara Gainer Amelia Garvey Darcey Harry Alice Hewson Anna Huang (10) Sára Kousková Nastasia Nadaud Mimi Rhodes Chiara Tamburlini Shannon Tan
Nuria Iturrioz did not play
4. The top 5 on the 2026 LET Order of Merit not already exempt (as of 5 July 2026).
Kajsa Arwefjäll Pia Babnik Diksha Dagar Alexandra Försterling Anna Zanusso
5. The top 35 on the final 2025 Race to the CME Globe points list.
Céline Boutier (7,10,16) Choi Hye-jin (7) Carlota Ciganda (7) Lauren Coughlin (7,10) Lindy Duncan Ayaka Furue (7,16) Linn Grant (7) Nasa Hataoka (7) Brooke Henderson (7,16) Im Jin-hee (7) Akie Iwai (7) Chisato Iwai (7) Auston Kim (7) Kim Sei-young (7) Kim Hyo-joo (7,10) Grace Kim (7,16) Nelly Korda (7,10,13,15) Jennifer Kupcho (7,13) Lee So-mi (7) Andrea Lee (7) Minjee Lee (7,14,15) Gaby López (7) Yealimi Noh Ryu Hae-ran (7,14,16) Mao Saigo (7,13) Jeeno Thitikul (7,10) Yin Ruoning (7,14)
Angel Yin (7) did not play
6. The top 25 on the 2026 Race to the CME Globe points list not already exempt (as of 5 July 2026).
Pajaree Anannarukarn Aditi Ashok Jenny Bae Robyn Choi Karis Davidson Melanie Green Erika Hara Joo Soo-bin Minji Kang Gina Kim (10) Lucy Li Yu Liu Julia López Ramirez (10) Nanna Koerstz Madsen Leona Maguire Ryann O'Toole Cassie Porter Pauline Roussin Jenny Shin (10) Dewi Weber Jing Yan Arpichaya Yubol Rose Zhang Zhang Weiwei Yana Wilson (10)
7. The top 50 in the Women's World Golf Rankings (as of 5 July 2026).
Yuna Araki Allisen Corpuz (15) Chun In-gee (14) Hannah Green (10) Esther Henseleit Hwang You-min Kim Min-sol Ko Jin-young Shiho Kuwaki (7) Shuri Sakuma (11) Maja Stark (15) Patty Tavatanakit Liu Yan Ina Yoon
Yui Kawamoto (8) and Yoo Hyun-jo did not play
8. The top 3 on the JLPGA Money List not already exempt as of the Suntory Ladies Open.
Fuka Suga Sayaka Takahashi
9. The top 2 on the KLPGA Money List not already exempt (as of 5 July 2026). Kim Min-sun Seo Kyo-rim did not play
10. Winners of any recognised LET or LPGA Tour events in the 2026 calendar year.
Kelsey Bennett Carolina Chacarra Esme Hamilton Leonie Harm Noora Komulainen Agathe Laisné Lee Mi-hyang Smilla Tarning Sønderby Aunchisa Utama
11. Winner of the 2025 JLPGA Money List.
12. Winners of the 2025 KLPGA Money List. Hong Jung-min did not play
13. Winners of the last five editions of the Chevron Championship.
14. Winners of the last five editions of the Women's PGA Championship. Amy Yang
15. Winners of the last five editions of the U.S. Women's Open. Yuka Saso
16. Winners of the last five editions of The Evian Championship.
17. The leading two (not otherwise exempt) in the 2026 Suntory Ladies Open. Kana Nagai
18. A minimum of leading three golfers, not otherwise exempt, from the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open.
Daniela Darquea Nataliya Guseva Chanettee Wannasaen
19. Winner of the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur. Megha Ganne forfeited her exemption by turning professional
20. The 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal winner. Kiara Romero (a)
21. Winner of the 2026 Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Yang Yun-seo (a)
22. Winner of the 2025 Women's Amateur Latin America. María José Marín (a) (23)
23. Winner of the 2026 Augusta National Women's Amateur.
24. Winner of the 2026 Women's Amateur Championship. Valentine Delon (a)
25. Winner of the 2025 European Ladies Amateur Championship. Charlotte Naughton (a) (26)
26. Women's Amateur Series winner (If winner is already exempt, then the highest ranked women in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, not already exempt, as of week 30.).
27. Any player who did not compete in the previous year's Women's British Open due to maternity, who subsequently received an extension of membership for the maternity from the player's home tour in the previous year, provided she was otherwise qualified to compete in the previous year's Women's British Open.
Nicole Broch Estrup Alison Lee
Final Qualifying Final Qualifying was played over 18 holes on 27 July at St Annes Old Links.
Justice Bosio Vanessa Bouvet Lauren Crump (a) Manon De Roey Amanda Doherty Jodi Ewart Shadoff Anna Foster Annabell Fuller Polly Mack Ana Peláez Carla Tejedo Mulet Bel Wardle Chloe Williams
Round summaries First round Thursday, 30 July 2026
Jeeno Thitikul shot a bogey-free round of 64 (−7) to take a two-stroke lead over Shiho Kuwaki and Ryu Hae-ran. Ryu won the previous two majors of the year. Nelly Korda, winner of the year's first two majors, shot 73 (+2) and was in a tie for 53rd.
PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Jeeno Thitikul 64 −7T2 Shiho Kuwaki 66 −5 Ryu Hae-ranT4 Céline Boutier 67 −4 Yealimi NohT6 Chisato Iwai 68 −3 Chanettee WannasaenT8 Ashleigh Buhai 69 −2 Lauren Coughlin Diksha Dagar Charley Hull Paula Martín Sampedro (a) Mao Saigo Rio Takeda Shannon Tan Lottie Woad Source:
Second round Friday, 31 July 2026
Ryu Hae-ran, winner of the last two majors, took a one-stroke lead over Shiho Kuwaki with a 2-under-par round of 69. First round leader Jeeno Thitikul fell into a tied for third place with a 2-over-par 73. Nelly Korda, also seeking her third major win of the year, climbed up the leaderboard into a tie for 14th place with a 68.
PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Ryu Hae-ran 66-69=135 −72 Shiho Kuwaki 66-70=136 −6T3 Yealimi Noh 67-70=137 −5 Jeeno Thitikul 64-73=1375 Joo Soo-bin 70-69=139 −3T6 Lauren Coughlin 69-71=140 −2 Charley Hull 69-71=140 Minami Katsu 72-68=140 Lucy Li 72-68=140 Paula Martín Sampedro (a) 69-71=140 Chanettee Wannasaen 68-72=140 Lottie Woad 69-71=140 Jing Yan 72-68=140 Source:
Third round Saturday, 1 August 2026
Yealimi Noh shot a third round 69 to take a three-stroke lead over five competitors, including second round leader Ryu Hae-ran (74) and first round leader Jeeno Thitikul (72). Nelly Korda was eight strokes off the lead in tied-16th place.
PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Yealimi Noh 67-70-69=206 −7T2 Esther Henseleit 73-69-67=209 −4 Shiho Kuwaki 66-70-73=209 Lucy Li 72-68-69=209 Ryu Hae-ran 66-69-74=209 Jeeno Thitikul 64-73-72=2097 Lottie Woad 69-71-70=210 −3T6 Ayaka Furue 76-70-65=211 −2 Charley Hull 69-71-71=211 Minami Katsu 72-68-71=211 Chanettee Wannasaen 68-72-71=211 Source:
Final round Sunday, 2 August 2026
Shiho Kuwaki and Esther Henseleit both shot 70 to end regulation play in a tie at 279 (−5). The sudden-death playoff was conducted at the 18th hole. Both players parred the hole the first time. Henseleit bogeyed the hole the second time while Kuwaki had a tap-in par.
Third round leader Yealimi Noh shot a 74 and ended in third place. Nelly Korda, winner of the first two majors of the year, ended in a tie for 4th place (282) while Ryu Hae-ran, winner of the year's other two majors, finished in a tied for 6th (283).
PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)T1 Shiho Kuwaki 66-70-73-70=279 −5 Playoff Esther Henseleit 73-69-67-70=2793 Yealimi Noh 67-70-69-74=280 −4 668,050T4 Nelly Korda 73-68-73-68=282 −2 456,601 Jeeno Thitikul 64-73-72-73=282T6 Ryu Hae-ran 66-69-74-74=283 −1 247,127 Charley Hull 69-71-71-72=283 Lottie Woad 69-71-70-73=283 Hsu Wei-ling 71-74-69-69=283 Shannon Tan 69-74-71-69=283 Rio Takeda 69-73-72-69=283 Source:
Playoff The sudden-death playoff was held over the 18th hole until there was a winner. PlacePlayerScoresPrize money (US$)1 Shiho Kuwaki 4-4=8 1,500,0002 Esther Henseleit 4-5=9 921,872
Notes
References
External links
Coverage on the LPGA Tour site Coverage on the Ladies European Tour