Charley Hull and Lottie Woad will leave the Royal Lytham & St Annes course feeling the sting of a "missed opportunity" after failing to capture their first major title at the AIG Women’s Open, a sentiment echoed by four‑time major champion Dame Laura Davies. Both English players finished the tournament tied for sixth place, four strokes shy of the eventual champion Shiho Kuwaki, who posted a winning total of five under par. Hull and Woad were unable to generate the surge needed on Sunday’s final round to close the gap. Woad began the day in a strong position, sitting at three under after her opening round of 69, which was also the only bogey‑free round of the tournament for her.
However, the pressure of the final day saw her card her first over‑par round of the week, and she was unable to recover enough to mount a serious challenge. Hull, meanwhile, entered the round with a birdie on the first hole but quickly saw her momentum evaporate after two double‑bogeys on holes three and seven, effectively ending any realistic hope of a playoff. "They’ll both view this as a missed opportunity because five under won it," Davies told Sky Sports Golf. "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 recorded 17 birdies across the four rounds, a tally only surpassed by world number one Nelly Korda’s 19 birdies, and she finished just one stroke behind Korda’s tie for fourth place. Yet Hull also accumulated 12 bogeys and the two costly double‑bogeys on the final day. If those four strokes had been avoided, Hull would have joined the playoff at five under, putting her within striking distance of the title. Davies added, "Charley made a few too many mistakes, 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.’" Woad’s performance, while not enough for a win, still offered several positives. After a flawless opening round, she posted a 71 and a 70 in the second and third rounds respectively, keeping herself in contention. Her final‑day 73 was a disappointment, but the 22‑year‑old still secured her fifth top‑10 finish in a major championship. That consistency earned her a debut appearance for Team Europe in the upcoming Solheim Cup, underscoring her rising stature on the international stage.
Commentator Andrew Cotter noted, "Woad didn’t roll in enough putts, 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." The tournament highlighted the fine margins that separate victory from near‑miss in major golf. Both Hull and Woad demonstrated the skill and composure required to contend, yet a handful of missed putts and a couple of errant swings proved decisive. Their performances will likely serve as motivation for the remainder of the season, as the Ladies European Tour heads back to England for the PIF London Championship at the Centurion Club, and the LPGA Tour prepares for a brief pause before the Standard Portland Classic in mid‑August. Looking ahead, Hull will aim to tighten her game management and reduce the frequency of high‑score holes, while Woad will focus on translating her solid ball‑striking into more reliable putting.
Both players have the talent and the experience to convert future opportunities into major victories, and fans can expect them to be prominent figures in the next wave of women’s golf champions. In summary, the AIG Women’s Open offered a vivid illustration of how a single round can define a career milestone.
Hull and Woad left the tournament with valuable lessons, a renewed belief in their abilities, and the knowledge that a major title is within reach if they can fine‑tune the small aspects of their games that made the difference this week.