Charley Hull and Lottie Woad will undoubtedly look back on Sunday’s final round at Royal Lytham & St Annes as a "missed opportunity" to secure their first major title, according to four‑time major champion Dame Laura Davies. Both English players finished tied for sixth, four strokes shy of eventual champion Shiho Kuwaki, who posted a winning total of five under par. Woad entered the day in strong form, having opened the tournament with a three‑under 68.
However, her momentum stalled when she recorded her first over‑par round of the week, slipping back into the pack. Hull, meanwhile, started the day with a birdie on the first hole but was quickly undone by two double‑bogeys on holes three and seven, erasing much of the advantage she had built earlier in the tournament. "They’ll both see this as a missed opportunity because five under has won it," Davies told Sky Sports Golf after the round. "Charley played a little bit in and out, whereas Lottie was really solid; she just didn’t hole enough putts." Hull’s week was a study in contrasts.
She racked up 17 birdies over four days, second only to world number one Nelly Korda’s 19, and her aggressive style kept her near the top of the leaderboard throughout. Yet the same aggression produced 12 bogeys, and the two costly double‑bogeys on the final day cost her a chance to join a playoff at five under.
If those two holes had been saved, Hull would have been level with Kuwaki and potentially forced a sudden‑death showdown. Woad’s performance was more consistent but less spectacular. After a flawless bogey‑free 69 in the opening round, she posted rounds of 71 and 70 before the final day’s slip‑up. The 22‑year‑old still secured her fifth top‑10 finish on the Ladies European Tour, a notable achievement that has already earned her a place on Team Europe for next month’s Solheim Cup.
"Woad didn’t roll in enough putts," commentator Andrew Cotter observed. "But she continues this remarkable run of three Women’s Open Championships played and a third top‑10. Again she shows her quality and a major will surely happen for her in the future – she’s only 22. It’s another top‑10 but just not quite there on this occasion." Davies added that Hull’s aggressive approach is both her greatest strength and her Achilles’ heel.
"She made a few too many mistakes," Davies said. "And that’s just the way she plays golf; she goes full‑out attack. She was pretty disciplined this week, but I think she’ll think, ‘I was only four back and I should have been in there right at the death.’" The broader context of the tournament also bears mentioning.
The AIG Women’s Open, one of the five women’s majors, has traditionally been a proving ground for rising talent. This year’s edition saw a mix of seasoned veterans and hungry newcomers jostling for the coveted green jacket. While Kuwaki’s victory marked a breakthrough for the Japanese star, Hull and Woad’s near‑misses underscore how thin the margins are at the highest level of women’s golf. Looking ahead, the Ladies European Tour will remain on English soil for the PIF London Championship, which kicks off Thursday at the Centurion Club.
Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour will take a brief hiatus before resuming competition at the Standard Portland Classic from August 13‑16. Fans can continue to follow the action via Sky Sports or various streaming platforms, many of which offer contracts‑free access to live coverage. In summary, Hull and Woad’s performances at the Women’s Open were a blend of promise and frustration.
Both players demonstrated the skill set required to contend in a major, yet a handful of missed putts and a couple of untimely double‑bogeys prevented them from turning potential into a historic win. Their futures remain bright, and with the experience gained at Royal Lytham & St Annes, they are well‑positioned to convert those missed opportunities into triumphs in the seasons to come.