'Go and get it'

Wales is ready to welcome the world’s best golfers with open arms, according to Welsh boxing superstar Lauren Price.

The AIG Women’s Open – the final major of the year – will take place at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club for the first time.

The Championship will run from 31 July – 3 August when 144 players will battle it out to take home one of the biggest prizes in golf.

And a sport-mad nation will relish these elite professionals descending upon the Bristol Channel.

“It’s absolutely massive for us,” said Lauren, the unified welterweight boxing champ.

“I talk about Wales all the time. We’re a small nation but we love our sport. I know the locals will really get behind this Championship; it’s what Welsh people do!

“I’m proud to be Welsh and I think the AIG Women’s Open is great for Wales. I’ll definitely be coming down to watch. I’m sure it will attract a lot of people.”

Lauren met Charley Hull – AIG Women’s Open runner-up in 2023 – at Porthcawl recently and the pair exchanged tips and stories from their respective sports.

“I’ve followed Charley for a few years now,” said Lauren, “and we both went to the Paris Olympics, but it was great to finally meet her in person.

“She’s a character! We had a great day together and I look forward to supporting her in the summer.”

Lauren, a former semi-pro footballer, is one of the most successful athletes Wales has ever produced.

She claimed gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, first place at the 2019 European Games and topped it all by winning gold at Tokyo 2020, making her the first Welsh boxer of any gender to win an Olympic gold medal.

She turned professional in 2022 and quickly went about climbing to the pinnacle of her sport.

Lauren defeated Natasha Jones in March this year to become the unified world champion, meaning she holds all four welterweight belts.

From her days as a hungry amateur to now feasting at the top table, Lauren has seen at first-hand the growth of women’s sport – and she wants that boom to continue.

“From a boxing point of view, it has really blown up over the last four years,” she explained. “It was a sell-out at The O2 when Claressa Shields fought Savannah Marshall earlier this year, and I was lucky to be a part of that.

“The Women’s Euros sold out Wembley a couple of years ago and things like that just go to show that there is an appetite for women’s sport. People do want to watch elite sport live, whether that’s male or female.

“It’s exciting to be part of it. Women’s sport is growing all the time. I’ve been there as a semi-pro footballer and as an amateur boxer. I’ve seen that growth.”

Lauren and Charley’s journeys have been very successful. Both have dedicated their lives to a sport they love and they have reached the top through a mixture of ability, skill, desire and determination.

As well as boxing and football, Lauren is also a former kickboxer, so passionate is she about sport.

And she cannot press home enough the benefits of getting involved in any form of physical activity.

“I struggled in school, but as soon as I got involved in sport my schoolwork started to improve,” she said.

“Sport is great in so many ways. You’re not just sat there on your phone. You’re out making friends, enjoying yourself.

“Sport can give you a passion and a goal but it’s also a great way of just connecting with people.

“I always say to kids that if you have a dream and you’re willing to work hard for it, then go and get it. There’s less and less stopping you these days.

“Golf is more of a calm vibe, certainly compared to the sports I’ve been involved in, so if that’s your thing then why not give it a go?”