2026 Women's British Open

2026 AIG Women's Open
Tournament information
Dates30 July – 2 August 2026
LocationLytham St Annes,
Lancashire, England
53°44′59″N 3°01′04″W / 53.7496°N 3.0178°W / 53.7496; -3.0178
CourseRoyal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
Organized byThe R&A
ToursLadies European Tour
LPGA Tour
Statistics
Par71
Length6,601 yards (6,036 m)
Field144 players, 68 after cut
Cut146 (+4)
Prize fundUS$10,000,000
Winner's share$1,500,000
Champion
Japan Shiho Kuwaki
279 (−5)
Royal Lytham& St Annes GC is located in the United Kingdom
Royal Lytham& St Annes GC
Royal Lytham
& St Annes GC
Location in the United Kingdom
Royal Lytham& St Annes GC is located in England
Royal Lytham& St Annes GC
Royal Lytham
& St Annes GC
Location in England

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.[1]

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.[2][3][4][a]

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.

2. The top 10 finishers and ties from the 2025 Women's British Open.

3. The top 15 on the final 2025 LET Order of Merit.

4. The top 5 on the 2026 LET Order of Merit not already exempt (as of 5 July 2026).

5. The top 35 on the final 2025 Race to the CME Globe points list.

6. The top 25 on the 2026 Race to the CME Globe points list not already exempt (as of 5 July 2026).

7. The top 50 in the Women's World Golf Rankings (as of 5 July 2026).

8. The top 3 on the JLPGA Money List not already exempt as of the Suntory Ladies Open.

9. The top 2 on the KLPGA Money List not already exempt (as of 5 July 2026).

10. Winners of any recognised LET or LPGA Tour events in the 2026 calendar year.

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.

15. Winners of the last five editions of the U.S. Women's Open.

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.

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.

21. Winner of the 2026 Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific

  • Yang Yun-seo (a)

22. Winner of the 2025 Women's Amateur Latin America.

23. Winner of the 2026 Augusta National Women's Amateur.

24. Winner of the 2026 Women's Amateur Championship.

25. Winner of the 2025 European Ladies Amateur Championship.

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.

Final Qualifying

Final Qualifying was played over 18 holes on 27 July at St Annes Old Links.

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.[5][6]

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1Thailand Jeeno Thitikul64−7
T2Japan Shiho Kuwaki66−5
South Korea Ryu Hae-ran
T4France Céline Boutier67−4
United States Yealimi Noh
T6Japan Chisato Iwai68−3
Thailand Chanettee Wannasaen
T8South Africa Ashleigh Buhai69−2
United States Lauren Coughlin
India Diksha Dagar
England Charley Hull
Spain Paula Martín Sampedro (a)
Japan Mao Saigo
Japan Rio Takeda
Singapore Shannon Tan
England Lottie Woad

Source:[6]

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.[7][6]

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1South Korea Ryu Hae-ran66-69=135−7
2Japan Shiho Kuwaki66-70=136−6
T3United States Yealimi Noh67-70=137−5
Thailand Jeeno Thitikul64-73=137
5South Korea Joo Soo-bin70-69=139−3
T6United States Lauren Coughlin69-71=140−2
England Charley Hull69-71=140
Japan Minami Katsu72-68=140
United States Lucy Li72-68=140
Spain Paula Martín Sampedro (a)69-71=140
Thailand Chanettee Wannasaen68-72=140
England Lottie Woad69-71=140
United States Jing Yan72-68=140

Source:[6]

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.[8][6]

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Yealimi Noh67-70-69=206−7
T2Germany Esther Henseleit73-69-67=209−4
Japan Shiho Kuwaki66-70-73=209
United States Lucy Li72-68-69=209
South Korea Ryu Hae-ran66-69-74=209
Thailand Jeeno Thitikul64-73-72=209
7England Lottie Woad69-71-70=210−3
T6Japan Ayaka Furue76-70-65=211−2
England Charley Hull69-71-71=211
Japan Minami Katsu72-68-71=211
Thailand Chanettee Wannasaen68-72-71=211

Source:[6]

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).[1][6]

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1Japan Shiho Kuwaki66-70-73-70=279−5Playoff
Germany Esther Henseleit73-69-67-70=279
3United States Yealimi Noh67-70-69-74=280−4668,050
T4United States Nelly Korda73-68-73-68=282−2456,601
Thailand Jeeno Thitikul64-73-72-73=282
T6South Korea Ryu Hae-ran66-69-74-74=283−1247,127
England Charley Hull69-71-71-72=283
England Lottie Woad69-71-70-73=283
Chinese Taipei Hsu Wei-ling71-74-69-69=283
Singapore Shannon Tan69-74-71-69=283
Japan Rio Takeda69-73-72-69=283

Source:[6]

Playoff

The sudden-death playoff was held over the 18th hole until there was a winner.

PlacePlayerScoresPrize money (US$)
1Japan Shiho Kuwaki4-4=81,500,000
2Germany Esther Henseleit4-5=9921,872

Notes

  1. ↑ (a) – denotes amateur

References

  1. 1 2 "Shiho Kuwaki wins Women's British Open on second playoff hole". ESPN. Associated Press. 2 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "Qualification routes / Ways players can earn their place at 2026 AIG Women's Open". AIG Women's Open. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "AIG Women's Open – Entries". LPGA. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "AIG Women's Open – Entries". Ladies European Tour. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Jeeno Thitikul chases first major win, opens British Open with 64". ESPN. Associated Press. 30 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "AIG Women's Open – Leaderboard". LPGA.
  7. ↑ "Haeran Ryu takes 1-shot lead in round 2 of Women's British Open". ESPN. Associated Press. 31 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Noh seizes on Women's British Open lead after Ryu's collapse". ESPN. Associated Press. 1 August 2026.
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