The final women’s major of the season is here as the AIG Women’s Open heads to Royal Lytham and St Annes, where another stellar field will battle it out for one of the biggest prizes in women’s golf. Defending champion Miyu Yamashita returns looking to retain her title, but with so much quality throughout the field, it’s shaping up to be a fascinating week on the Lancashire coastline.
A total of 144 players will tee it up, all hoping to write their names into the history books by lifting one of golf’s most prestigious trophies. For this year’s championship, I’ve put together a three-player squad who I believe have the game to contend over the four days. Before we get into those selections, let’s take a look at the course and the type of player that is usually rewarded around this links track.
The Course – Royal Lytham and St Annes, Lancashire, England
Royal Lytham and St Annes is one of the purest links tests in championship golf. Although it measures just 6,585 yards and plays to a par 72, it is a course that demands precision rather than power.
The fairways are framed by countless bunkers, the greens are small by modern standards, and when the wind gets up, simply finding the correct areas of the course becomes a real challenge.
The players who tend to thrive here are those who control their ball flight well, strike their irons consistently, and possess an excellent short game.
Hitting greens in regulation is always important, but with the run-offs and deep bunkering around the putting surfaces, it makes scrambling particularly important. Patience is another key attribute, as this is rarely a venue where players can overpower the course. Instead, it rewards those who plot their way around, minimise mistakes and take advantage of the scoring opportunities when they come along.
The last time the AIG Women’s Open was held at Royal Lytham and St Annes was in 2018, when Georgia Hall produced a superb performance to become the first English winner of the championship since Karen Stupples in 2004.
Georgia Hall handled the testing conditions brilliantly well, proving that a composed all-round game and smart course management are often the recipe for success around this famous links venue. This should be a belter.
1. Charley Hull (+2800)
Charley Hull is a player I really want to see go close here, and while there may be a little bit of home bias involved, the reasons for supporting her are very clear too. She has been knocking on the door in this championship for years, finishing runner up in the Women’s Open multiple times, and she arrives here having shown she can compete with the very best after finishing second to Nelly Korda in the US Women’s Open recently.
Charley has enjoyed another strong few seasons, and her elite ball striking, natural ability in windy conditions and experience on links courses make her a huge threat at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
She has always had the game to win a major, and with this one taking place on home soil, I would love nothing more than to see her finally get that breakthrough. Charley Hull gets the win only vote.
2. Jeeno Thitikul (+1400)
Jeeno Thitikul is a player who has already proven she belongs among the very best in the world, and she continues to perform as one of the most complete players on the LPGA Tour. She has a superb all-round game, but the standout part of her profile for me is her putting.
Her touch and feel on the greens are exceptional, and she has the ability to hole those important putts when the pressure is at its highest, we’ve seen this multiple times already. In a major championship, especially on a demanding links course where everyone will have difficult chances, having that level of confidence with the putter can be a huge advantage.
Away from the greens, Jeeno is also incredibly consistent. She is a quality ball striker, rarely makes many mistakes and has the patience required to succeed in tough conditions. She doesn’t need to overpower a golf course, instead she relies on her control, decision making and short game to keep her in contention.
Thitikul has already shown she can compete on the biggest stages, and if the putter gets hot, she has the complete game to be a serious threat for another major title this week.
3. Ina Yoon (+3500)
Ina Yoon is a really exciting player who has made a huge rise over the last year, climbing from 74th in the world rankings all the way up to 18th. That improvement has been built on some seriously impressive performances, including a runner up finish in the PGA Championship last month and a fourth-place finish in the Chevron Championship, proving she can already compete on the biggest stages.
She has also picked up two wins on the KLPGA Tour and looks like a player who is continuing to improve. Her debut LPGA Tour isn’t far away and it would be no surprise to see it be this week.
One of her biggest strengths is her game from tee to green. She is one of the longer hitters on the LPGA Tour, but it isn’t just about power, because her swing is simple, repeatable and allows her to find a good level of consistency.
Around a course like Royal Lytham and St Annes, that combination of length and strong ball striking could be a huge advantage. The only slight concern is whether the putter can hold up under pressure, as that has been the one area where she hasn’t always been as reliable
If she handles the links conditions well, there is no reason why she can’t be right in the mix. Yoon has the tools to contend, and this feels like the type of championship where her strengths could really shine. I think she will handle links golf very well.
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