As the AIG Women’s Open celebrates its 50th anniversary, the spotlight turns to Royal Lytham & St Annes, where the tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Two of the game’s brightest stars, Nelly Korda and Charley Hull, are among the contenders hoping to lift the coveted Claret Jug. The event promises a thrilling showdown, especially for Korda, who is on the brink of matching an extraordinary major‑winning feat.
The current women’s major season has been dominated by just two players. Nelly Korda has already secured the Chevron Championship and the U.S.
Women’s Open, while South Korea’s Ha‑Ran Ryu captured the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Evian Championship. This marks the first time in LPGA history that two golfers have each claimed multiple majors in a single calendar year.
Both athletes now have the chance to equal the record for the most major victories in a year—a milestone achieved by only a handful of players across both the men’s and women’s tours. Historically, only six golfers have ever won three majors in a single season. On the men’s side, Ben Hogan (1953) and Tiger Woods (2000) belong to that exclusive club. In the women’s game, Inbee Park joined the elite group in 2013 by winning the first three majors of the year, matching the achievements of legends Babe Zaharias (1950), Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986).
Korda and Ryu are now poised to become the seventh and eighth players to add a third major to their season‑long tally, with the AIG Women’s Open serving as the decisive battleground. Both players are also in contention for the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, which honors the LPGA Tour member with the best major record over a season. The award will likely be decided by whoever claims the next major, making the AIG Women’s Open a pivotal event for the season’s ultimate accolade.
Korda’s recent performance at the Evian Championship was a surprise to many, as she missed the cut despite entering the tournament as a four‑time winner that season and a pre‑tournament favorite. That early exit ended a remarkable run of 34 consecutive tournaments where she had made the cut, and it adds an extra layer of motivation as she pursues a career Grand Slam. Having already added the U.S.
Women’s Open to her résumé, Korda now seeks her third distinct major title. In the LPGA’s evolving major landscape, winning four of the five current majors is considered a career Grand Slam, because the roster of major championships has shifted over time. This gives Korda a fresh opportunity to complete the Grand Slam at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
She finished tied for second behind Lydia Ko at St Andrews in 2024 and will be eager to improve on that result on the historic Lancashire links. A victory would make her the first woman since Inbee Park to join the Grand Slam club, cementing her status among the sport’s greats.
Beyond the personal stakes for Korda, the tournament also offers a chance to secure her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame. A 20th tour win, coupled with a fifth major, would provide the two additional points she needs to qualify for induction, underscoring how much is on the line. The field also includes a compelling storyline for Japan’s Miyu Yamashita. After a breakout win at the 2023 Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl—where she held off Charley Hull—Yamashita has continued to improve.
She claimed the Maybank Championship on the LPGA Tour and triumphed in a dramatic playoff at the Meijer LPGA Classic in June. Recent form includes a shared fourth place at the Evian Championship and a shared fifth at the Scottish Open, indicating she is in prime condition to defend her title.
British history adds another layer of intrigue. It has been three decades since Dame Laura Davies secured her final major, and since then, several British golfers have tasted success at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Alison Nicholas won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1997, Karen Stupples captured the AIG Women’s Open in 2004, and Catriona Matthew became Scotland’s first female major champion at this venue in 2009, just weeks after giving birth. More recently, Georgia Hall claimed a two‑stroke victory in 2018.
The tournament is expected to draw over 50,000 spectators, many hoping to witness another home‑grown champion. Charley Hull, a five‑time major runner‑up, is also chasing her first major win. She has finished second at this event twice in the past three years and will be determined to break the pattern. Fellow Englishwoman Lottie Woad, who has posted top‑10 finishes in her last two appearances, will be looking to build on that momentum.
The AIG Women’s Open also serves as a crucial checkpoint for players eyeing a spot on Europe’s Solheim Cup team. Team captain Anna Nordqvist, who will not play but will select her squad, has eight automatic qualifiers already locked in. The final four spots will be decided based on performance this week, with players such as Chiara Tamburlini, Helen Briem, Agathe Laisne and Cara Gainer vying for selection.
World‑ranking spots are also up for grabs, featuring talents like Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Celine Boutier, Carlota Ciganda, Linn Grant and Esther Henseleit. Emerging Europeans such as Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Dewi Weber and Mimi Rhodes could also make a case for inclusion with a strong major showing. Sky Sports will be the exclusive broadcaster of the tournament in the UK and Ireland, offering an expanded coverage schedule that includes Featured Groups programming starting at 9 a.m.
on Thursday and Friday, followed by full live coverage from 1 p.m. The weekend rounds will be shown from midday, providing fans with more than six additional hours of live golf compared with previous years. Viewers can follow the action on Sky Sports Golf or stream the coverage without a contract. With so many narratives converging—Korda’s quest for a third major and a possible Grand Slam, Ryu’s battle for the ANNIKA Award, Yamashita’s title defence, and a strong British contingent hoping for a home victory—the 2026 AIG Women’s Open promises to be one of the most compelling chapters in recent women’s golf history.
Who will emerge victorious? Tune in throughout the week to find out.