As the AIG Women’s Open marks its 50th anniversary, anticipation builds for a thrilling showdown at Royal Lytham & St Annes, broadcast live on Sky Sports. Among the contenders, Nelly Korda and Charley Hull are poised to add another major title to their résumés, while a host of other storylines add depth to the tournament narrative. The current women’s major season has been dominated by two extraordinary players: Nelly Korda and Ha Ryun. Both have already secured two major victories this year, putting them in position to equal the record for most majors won in a single calendar year.
Korda captured the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open, while Ryun clinched the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Evian Championship. This unprecedented pairing of multiple major winners in one season underscores the high level of competition and the historic nature of their achievements.
Only six golfers—across both the men’s and women’s tours—have ever won three majors in a single year. Korda and Ryun now have the chance to join that exclusive club by triumphing at the AIG Women’s Open. In the men’s game, the feat has been accomplished only by Ben Hogan in 1953 and Tiger Woods in 2000. On the women’s side, Inbee Park matched the accomplishment in 2013 by winning the first three majors of the year, joining legends such as Babe Zaharias (1955), Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986) who each secured three majors in a season under different major configurations.
Both Korda and Ryun are also in contention for the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, which honors the LPGA player with the strongest major record over a season. A third major victory would likely cement the award for one of them, adding another layer of intrigue to the competition.
Korda’s recent form has been a roller‑coaster. After a surprising missed cut at the Evian Championship—an event where she entered as a pre‑tournament favourite and a four‑time major winner that season—she rebounded by winning the U.S.
Women’s Open, her third distinct major title. That victory extended her streak of cuts made to 34 tournaments before a brief interruption at the French Open, where she missed the cut and consequently delayed her pursuit of a career Grand Slam. In women’s golf, a career Grand Slam is defined as winning four of the five current majors, a benchmark that has shifted over time as the roster of major championships has evolved. Korda now has a fresh opportunity to claim that elusive fourth major at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Her recent performances provide a clear picture of her ambitions. In 2024, Korda finished tied for second behind Lydia Ko at St Andrews, and she will be eager to improve on that result in Lancashire. A win would make her the first woman since Inbee Park to join the Grand Slam club, a distinction that would also bring her one step closer to LPGA Hall of Fame induction. A twentieth LPGA Tour win and a fifth major would secure the two points she needs to lock in her Hall of Fame status.
The tournament also offers a chance for another player to break a 15‑year drought. The last back‑to‑back women’s major champion was Yani Tseng, who won the 2010 Royal Birkdale and then defended her title at Carnoustie in 2011.
Japanese star Miyu Yamashita, a dominant force on the LPGA of Japan Tour with 13 victories, is positioned to challenge that streak. After a breakthrough win at the 2023 AIG Women’s Open—where she out‑lasted Charley Hull by two strokes at Royal Porthcawl—Yamashita has continued to improve. She added a Maybank Championship title on the LPGA Tour later that year and captured the Meijer LPGA Classic in a dramatic playoff against Lottie Woad. Her recent form includes four top‑five finishes in her last six worldwide starts, a shared fourth place at the Evian Championship, and a shared fifth at the Scottish Open.
This consistency suggests she could be a serious contender for the title. British golf history also looms large over the event. It has been three decades since Dame Laura Davies secured her final major at Royal Lytham, and the venue has produced several home‑grown champions in recent years.
Alison Nicholas won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1997, while Karen Stupples captured the AIG Women’s Open in 2004. More recently, Catriona Matthew became Scotland’s first female major champion at this course in 2009, just weeks after giving birth to her second daughter.
Georgia Hall added a two‑stroke victory in 2018, reinforcing the notion that the links favor British players. Charley Hull, a five‑time major runner‑up—including two close calls at Royal Lytham—will be eager to finally break through and claim her first major. Lottie Woad, another British hopeful, hopes to improve on her top‑10 finishes from previous AIG Women’s Open appearances. The tournament is expected to draw over 50,000 spectators, many of whom will be hoping for a home champion.
Beyond individual aspirations, the event serves as a final proving ground for players seeking selection to Team Europe’s Solheim Cup roster. Captain Anna Nordqvist, who will not play but will make strategic selections, has already confirmed eight automatic qualifiers and will announce her four captain’s picks soon. The competition for those spots is fierce, with LET points leader Chiara Tamburlini, rookie Helen Briem, Agathe Laisne and Cara Gainer all in contention. World‑ranking spots are occupied by Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Céline Boutier, Carlota Ciganda, Linn Grant and Esther Henseleit, while Leona Maguire’s strong showing in Scotland could earn her a return to the European squad.
Other European players such as Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Dewi Weber and Mimi Rhodes sit inside the top 100, and a standout performance at the Open could boost their Solheim Cup prospects. Nordqvist has warned of “hard phone calls” ahead, indicating that the final team composition will be tightly contested. Sky Sports remains the exclusive broadcaster for the AIG Women’s Open in the UK and Ireland, offering an expanded coverage package that includes Featured Groups programming and six additional hours of live golf compared with previous years. Coverage begins at 9 a.m.
on Thursday and Friday on Sky Sports Golf, with full live action kicking off at 1 p.m. and the final rounds streamed from midday over the weekend. In summary, the 2026 AIG Women’s Open promises a rich tapestry of narratives: Korda’s chase of a career Grand Slam and Hall of Fame points, Ryun’s pursuit of a historic third major, Yamashita’s bid to become the first back‑to‑back major winner since Tseng, and a strong contingent of British players hoping to add their names to the venue’s storied legacy.
All eyes will be on Royal Lytham & St Annes as the world’s best women golfers compete for a place in golf history.