The 50th edition of the AIG Women's Open, the final major women's golf championship of the year, took place at Royal Lytham & St Annes, with Shiho Kuwaki claiming her first major title in a dramatic playoff. Kuwaki emerged victorious after an extraordinary day that saw over a dozen players in contention.
She finished with a score of five under, tied with Esther Henseleit, who forced a playoff with a 45-foot birdie on the final hole. Kuwaki ultimately won the championship after Henseleit's tee shot on the second playoff hole hit a marshal and landed in a bush, resulting in a bogey. Overnight leader Yealimi Noh finished one stroke behind in third place, while the world's top two players, Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul, ended a further stroke back in a tie for fourth. The victory marked Kuwaki's first major title and earned her a $1.5m prize, making her the second consecutive Japanese winner of the tournament.
Only 11 of the 68 players who made the cut finished under par, highlighting the challenging nature of the course.