Greatness awaits

In a summer where all eyes have been on England's Golf Coast, the focus now settles on Royal Lytham & St Annes for the 50th staging of the AIG Women's Open.

This week a landmark edition of the AIG Women's Open will be getting under way, just 35 miles along the coast from where Ryan Fox claimed the Claret Jug 10 days earlier. It is a rare double-header for the north-west, when this stretch of seaside becomes the centre of the golfing world.

Since 1976, the AIG Women’s Open has evolved into a highlight of the golfing calendar. The Championship has firmly established its standing at the very top of the game, a growth mirrored in the prize fund; having first hit $1 million in 1998, the purse has more than trebled since 2018 to a record-breaking $10m, which is an impressive evolution from the £500 on offer at the very first Championship.

However, the evolution of this Championship is measured in more than just years; it is measured in impact. Through the partnership with AIG, the Championship has moved beyond being just a golf event. With a festival atmosphere, it’s now a platform designed to shine a light on the women’s game, creating a better, more visible future for the sport.

The AIG Women’s Open has become synonymous with progress, pushing for equity and ensuring the world’s best athletes are showcased on the stages their talent deserves. Whether it is the historic links of St Andrews and Carnoustie, the tree-lined challenge of Woburn, or the heathland test of Walton Heath, these iconic venues now provide the standard for the modern major.

Now returning to the red-brick charm of Royal Lytham & St Annes for the sixth time, the Championship is ready to add another chapter to this stunning coastline.

The course doesn’t sit on the water’s edge like Birkdale; instead, it is famously hemmed in by the town and the railway line, though the sea breeze is always close enough to leave its mark.

There is no room for error here. With 166 pot bunkers, the traditional links layout presents a fierce challenge, so winning at Lytham requires strategy, patience and absolute precision.

You cannot discuss the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes without mentioning the summer of 2009 and the legendary Catriona Matthew OBE. Her victory remains one of the most enduring stories in British sport.

Just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter, Sophie, the Scot arrived on the Lancashire coast with no expectations.

What followed was a masterclass in links golf. While the field buckled under the pressure, Catriona remained calm, eventually clinching the title by three strokes over Karrie Webb to become the first Scot to win a major in the modern era. It was a victory for supermums everywhere and set the standard for British success on home soil.

As the Championship returns to these same fairways, the story comes full circle with Georgia Hall.

The Champion at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2018, a consistent major performer with six top-ten finishes, will compete as a new mother herself. Could the unique magic of this place inspire another historic British victory for a player balancing the demands of motherhood with the pursuit of major glory?

And, of course, there is Charley Hull. If there is a player who thrives on the energy of a home gallery, it is Charley. We saw her push eventual Champion Lilia Vu all the way at Walton Heath in 2023, and she backed that up with a runner-up finish after a final-round charge at Royal Porthcawl last year.

Her aggressive, see-it, hit-it game is the total opposite of Lytham’s defensive layout, but if she can make that attacking mindset work for her, the 50th anniversary could end with a weekend atmosphere that rivals anything seen before.

The home interest doesn’t stop there. Lottie Woad set the world alight last year, winning the KPMG Women’s Irish Open while still an amateur and emerging as a genuine threat at the Amundi Evian Championship. It came as no surprise when she won the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open in her very first start as a professional. Now fifth in the world rankings, her rise has been remarkable.

Joining her is Mimi Rhodes, who announced herself with a standout performance at Royal Porthcawl last year. After winning three times in her rookie Ladies’ European Tour season and earning her LPGA card, Mimi will arrive as a proven winner. With such depth in the home ranks, the noise around Lytham’s natural amphitheatre could be something special.

While the home hopes are high, they must contend with a field that represents the pinnacle of global talent. The defending champion, Miyū Yamashita, has a game built on the very attributes Lytham demands: accuracy and nerves of steel.

Her victory last year at Royal Porthcawl was a testament to the rising power of Japanese golf, and her ability to plot her way around a course will once again make her a player to beat.

Then there is Nelly Korda, already a winner of two major titles in 2026. The American star has become the undisputed face of the game, possessing a swing that looks effortless but produces devastating power. Winning on a traditional English links would be the ultimate validation of her game, proving she can conquer some of the most challenging conditions the sport has to offer.

However, the world’s best are queuing up, led by Jeeno Thitikul. The current world number two dominated 2025 with a relentless display of ball-striking and, while she arrives hunting her first major, her ascent feels inevitable.

She’ll be joined by a stellar line-up of previous major winners including Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, Ruoning Yin and Hyo Joo Kim, who all possess the patience required for links golf and any one of them is capable of taking the links apart if the conditions allow.

Whether it is a repeat of Catriona’s maternal magic, a dominant display from a world number one, or a breakthrough from a new star, the 50th staging at Royal Lytham & St Annes promises to be a worthy successor to the drama of Royal Birkdale.