Home Hopes at Royal Lytham & St Annes
The final golf major of the year, the AIG Women’s Open, is set to take place at Royal Lytham & St Annes, with English golfers Charley Hull and Lottie Woad among the leading contenders. The tournament has a history of producing British champions at this venue, with Catriona Matthew winning in 2009 and Georgia Hall triumphing in 2018.
Charley Hull, ranked world number seven, has had five major runner-up finishes in her career. She recently secured a share of second place at the US Open, which she considers a highlight of her season. Hull also won the Saudi Ladies International earlier in the year, though she describes the rest of her season as a mixed bag. She will be looking to secure her first major title at this event.
Hull’s week began on a light note when she pranked her caddie, Adam Woodward, into believing he had won a significant lottery prize. She presented him with a ticket bought from a joke shop, leading to an excited reaction from Woodward before Hull revealed the prank. Despite the humorous start, Hull is focused on the competition ahead, acknowledging the mental challenge and the pressure that can accompany such high-stakes events.
Reflecting on past performances, Hull recalled crucial putts at the US Open, including one on the 18th hole, which demonstrated her resilience. She also finished in a share of second place at Royal Porthcawl a year ago, two shots behind Miyu Yamashita. The sight of posters depicting past champions at Lytham has intensified her desire to win a major.
Woad’s Rising Profile
Lottie Woad, currently ranked fifth in the world, is another strong contender. This marks only her third appearance at the AIG Women’s Open, having previously achieved top-10 finishes, including one as an amateur. Woad turned professional a year ago and has since secured two professional victories, with her most recent win occurring in May at the LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.
Woad’s professional debut saw her achieve a commanding victory at last year’s Scottish Open, showcasing her proficiency on links courses. Despite finishing in a share of 37th at last week’s Scottish title defence, Woad feels better prepared for the challenges of Royal Lytham & St Annes, particularly the bunker-strewn course and the need for knockdown shots.
The 22-year-old Woad drew parallels between her career and that of Georgia Hall, who was also 22 when she won this title at the same venue. Woad expressed her admiration for Hall, stating that she watched Hall’s victory on television and looked up to her as a younger player. Woad recently lost a play-off to Miyu Yamashita at the Meijer LPGA Classic, missing a short putt for victory. She has learned the importance of not being too hard on herself in a sport where wins are less frequent than losses.
The field for the AIG Women’s Open includes other notable players. World number one Nelly Korda will be grouped with Haeran Ryu for the first two rounds. Korda previously won the Chevron Championship and US Women’s Open, while Ryu claimed the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship. This marks the first time two players have secured multiple majors in a single season. Both Korda and Ryu are aiming to achieve three major wins in a calendar year, a feat last accomplished by Inbee Park in 2013.
Miyu Yamashita is the defending champion at Royal Lytham & St Annes and will begin her defence alongside world number two Jeeno Thitikul and Lauren Coughlin. Yamashita is attempting to become the first back-to-back winner of a women’s major since Yani Tseng.
Charley Hull will partner with Hannah Green and Brooke Henderson, while Lottie Woad is grouped with Aki Iwai and American Andrea Lee. England’s Alice Hewson is scheduled to hit the opening tee shot on Thursday at 6:30 am. The tournament also serves as the final qualifying event for European players seeking to participate in the Solheim Cup, with Anna Nordqvist set to announce four captain’s picks on Monday.
Nelly Korda has experienced a dip in form since her win at Riviera Country Club, missing the cut at the Evian and finishing tied for 16th at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open. This follows a period of significant success earlier in the season. Korda took a week off in Prague to reset before the final major of the year. She noted that playing in varied weather conditions at the Scottish Open provided valuable preparation for the links golf test at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
The AIG Women’s Open will feature a one-tee start for the 144-woman field.
Source: bbc.com
Dominic Hayes is the Sports News Writer at NewsGB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with five years of reporting experience. He started on a north-east sports desk. He holds a degree in Journalism from Teesside University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Middlesbrough, he follows pro golf and amateur boxing. “Fast and accurate is the only standard worth keeping.”
