The most recent leaderboard from the 50th AIG Women’s Open, the season‑ending major for female golfers, is now available for the competition being played at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Defending champion Miyu Yamashita returns to Royal Lytham & St Annes with the aim of retaining her title. She claimed the championship last year after edging out England’s Charley Hull and Japan’s Minami Katsu by two strokes at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.
Yamashita has been in fine form throughout the LPGA season, most recently winning a dramatic playoff against Lottie Woad at the Meijer LPGA Classic in June and posting a tied‑fifth finish at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open the week before this event. At 24 years old, Yamashita faces a formidable field that includes world No.
1 Nelly Korda, who is seeking to complete the career Grand Slam by securing her fourth distinct major title at this venue. Home‑nation hopefuls Lottie Woad and Charley Hull entered the tournament as the British favorites, each eager to capture their first major. Hull, in particular, came agonisingly close to ending her long wait for a major at the U.S. Women’s Open in June, where she recorded her fifth runner‑up finish in a major championship.
Royal Lytham & St Annes has a rich history with the Open. Georgia Hall lifted the trophy when the event was last held here in 2018, following Catriona Matthew’s victory at the same course in 2009. Weather forecasts suggest a wet week ahead, with the tournament’s on‑site meteorologist predicting intermittent rain. The forecast calls for partially cloudy skies on Saturday with winds of 9‑13 mph and a high of 21 °C (70 °F), and similar conditions on Sunday with lighter winds of 5‑10 mph and a high of 20 °C (68 °F).
A total of 144 players have qualified for the field, featuring top‑ranked competitors such as world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul and world No. 3 Haeran Ryu. Ryu is targeting her third major of the season after winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June and the Evian Championship in July.
Detailed exemption criteria and the full list of entrants are available on the official AIG Women’s Open website. Play is scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, with second‑round tee times posted online. Weekend tee times will be adjusted based on the number of players who make the cut, while third‑round pairings will be released on Friday night.
After the completion of 36 holes, the top 65 players and ties will advance to the final two rounds. Sky Sports Golf is expanding its coverage of the tournament, offering six additional hours of live broadcast compared with the previous year.
Early coverage starts at 9 a.m. on Friday, with full first‑ and second‑round action beginning at 1 p.m.
on both days. Coverage of the third and fourth rounds will commence at noon on Saturday and Sunday, with nightly highlight reels airing at 11 p.m. each day. Fans can follow the competition live on Sky Sports or stream the event without a contract through the NOW platform.
Golf enthusiasts are also encouraged to explore the 1,700‑plus courses across the UK and Ireland, with booking options available online. In summary, the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes brings together the world’s elite female golfers for a dramatic showdown in challenging coastal conditions. With a defending champion in top form, a world‑number‑one chasing a career Grand Slam, and several local favorites hoping to break through, the tournament promises compelling storylines and high‑quality golf throughout the week.