Magic moments (30-21)

Fifty years of progress will be celebrated this week as the AIG Women’s Open marks a landmark Championship.

Enjoying enormous growth since the maiden event in 1976, Royal Lytham & St Annes will be the venue for much fanfare.

And we continue our countdown of 50 of the most magical moments in this Championship’s storied history.

30: Breaking new ground

Launched in Fulford, York, in 1976, the first three Champions of the AIG Women’s Open were all English; Jenny Lee Smith, Vivien Saunders and Janet Melville.

The Championship’s first overseas winner was South Africa’s Alison Sheard, at Southport & Ainsdale in 1979, where she finished three strokes clear of the great Mickey Walker, one of the founding members of the Ladies European Tour.

29: King of the castle

A true golfing great, Betsy King won six major titles during a trophy-laden career. This tally does not include the AIG Women’s Open, which she collected in 1985, before the Championship had attained major status.

Betsy had finished a distant runner-up to Ayaka Okamoto at Woburn, but regrouped admirably to take the spoils at Moor Park 12 months later. It was one of 34 LPGA Tour titles.

28: The magic number

From one icon to another. Enter: Karrie Webb [above].

Forty-one LPGA Tour wins. Seven majors. One Super Career Grand Slam.

Karrie’s record is virtually untouchable. The Australian is a giant of the sport. And nowhere did she demonstrate this more than in the AIG Women’s Open.

Winning magnificently on debut in 1995, she repeated that feat two years later – and became the first three-time Champion in 2002. No player has won more.

27: Stupples’ fast start

Karen Stupples [above] achieved the biggest win of her career in the AIG Women’s Open in 2004, with her final round being one for the ages.

The Englishwoman holds the record for the lowest final round by a Champion. And her 64 owes much to her sensational start.

Trailing by one, Stupples followed an eagle at the opening hole with an albatross on the second. An astonishing sequence.

Karen eventually won by five strokes.

26: Tseng on song

From 2008 to 2011, Yani Tseng [above] was one of the most dominant golfers in the world.

Yani captured five major championships during this mesmerising three-year period – and she achieved something at the AIG Women’s Open that no-one has gone on to repeat; a defence of the title.

The Chinese Taipei star first lifted the trophy at Royal Birkdale in 2010, and retained the crown at Carnoustie 12 months later.

25: Ariya’s milestone

No Thai golfer, male or female, had ever won a major title.

Until Ariya Jutanugarn [top] entered the fray.

Turning professional in 2012, Ariya wasted no time in picking up her first LET title by winning the Lalla Meryem Cup just a year later. And then came the big one.

She arrived at Woburn – a cathedral in the pines – in 2016 and put together rounds of 65, 69, 66 and 72 to beat Mirim Lee and 2014 Champion Mo Martin by two strokes.

24: Jeeno’s rise

Now a certified superstar, Jeeno Thitikul has enjoyed quite an ascent into the top echelons of the game.

Until 2023, she was the youngest golfer to win a professional tournament, aged just 14 years, four months and 19 days.

Twelve months later she served notice of her undoubted potential by winning the coveted Smyth Salver at Royal Lytham & St Annes [above].

Such was her precocious talent, she retained the title at Woburn the following year – the only player to have successfully defended the crown outright.

23: Smiling Cinderella

Boasting a nickname which perfectly sums up her personality, Hinako Shibuno [above] was smiling from ear to ear after an incredible victory at Woburn in 2019.

Not only was it Hinako’s Championship debut, it was also the first tournament she played outside of her native Japan.

22: Wonderful Woad

A rising star, Lottie Woad cemented her status as the world’s leading amateur by winning the Smyth Salver at St Andrews in 2024.

Just months after becoming the first European winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, Lottie powered her way into the weekend and holed out for eagle on 18 on the Saturday to cap a memorable AIG Women’s Open debut.

21: Miyu digs deep

Virtually unstoppable on Thursday and Friday, eventual Champion Miyu Yamashita struggled in the third round last year – on the day of her 24th birthday.

Miyu had a three-shot cushion at the start of play but couldn’t get anything going, eventually signing for a two-over-par 74.

But it could have been a lot worse had she not shown unbelievable resistance to hole a monstrous par putt on the 17th [above].

It was a putt as important as any other she has hit in her career so far.