Women's British Open

The Women's Open (originally known as the Women's British Open, and still widely referred to by that name outside the UK) is a major championship in women's professional golf. It is recognised by both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour as a major. The reigning champion is Shiho Kuwaki, who won at the 2026 tournament.

Since becoming an LPGA major in 2001 it has generally been played in late July or early August. The 2012 edition was scheduled for mid-September, due to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, while the 2014 event was played in mid-July, the week prior to the Open Championship.

In 2019 it was known as the AIG Women's British Open. From 2007 to 2018, it was called the Ricoh Women's British Open while the previous twenty editions (1987–2006) were sponsored by Weetabix, a breakfast cereal. In July 2020, the sponsorship agreement with AIG was extended through to 2025; as part of the deal the championship was rebranded by The R&A (which has organised the event since 2017) by removing the "British" qualifier, in line with The R&A's men's and senior men's championships, as the AIG Women's Open. The sponsorship by AIG has since been further extended through 2030.

History

The first Women's British Open was played in 1976 when the Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship was extended to include professionals. The Amateur Stroke Play Championship had been organised by the Ladies' Golf Union since 1969. In early 1976 two professionals, Vivien Saunders and Gwen Brandom, and the LGU, agreed that the event would be opened up to professionals, with Saunders and Brandom providing £200 in prize money for the professionals. Eventually total prize money was £500, with five professionals competing in the event. An amateur, Jenny Lee Smith, won the event with Saunders the leading professional, tying for fourth place. Saunders won the event in 1977 on "countback", having tied with Mary Everard but having the better final round, 76 to Everard's 79. Janet Melville won in 1978, with Saunders again the leading professional and taking the first prize of £1,000. Just four professionals competed.

From 1979 the event was separated from the Stroke Play Championship, which returned to being an amateur-only event. Prize money of £10,000, and a first prize of £3,000, attracted a larger number of professionals. At first, it was difficult for the organisers to get the most prestigious courses to agree to host the event, with the exception of Royal Birkdale, which hosted it twice during its early days — in 1982 and 1986. After nearly folding in 1983, the tournament was held at the best of the "second-tier" courses, including Woburn Golf and Country Club for seven straight years, 1990 through 1996, as well as in 1984 and 1999.

As its prestige continued to increase, more of the links courses that are in the rotation for The Open Championship, such as Turnberry (2002) and Royal Lytham & St Annes (1998, 2003, 2006) hosted the tournament, in addition to Royal Birkdale (2000, 2005, 2010). In 2007, the tournament took place at the Old Course at St Andrews for the first time.

Since 2010, four additional Open Championship venues became first-time hosts for the women's event: Carnoustie (2011), Royal Liverpool (2012), Royal Troon (2020, year where only women had The Open), and Muirfield (2022). The tournament has yet to be played at two Open Championship courses: Royal St. George's in southeastern England, and Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Currently, Turnberry is unable to be on the Open rota because of political ramifications of its owner, the current President of the United States, Donald Trump (who has hosted LIV Golf tournaments on his courses; the owner of that tour, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, organises the Ladies European Tour's Aramco Team Series tournaments).

Unlike its male counterpart, the Women's Open has not adopted a links-only policy. This greatly increases the number of potential venues, especially the number close to the major population centres of England. Following the 2017 merger of the Ladies Golf Union with The R&A, both the men's and women's Opens are operated by The R&A.

Through 1993, the tournament was an official stop only on the Ladies European Tour, with the exception of the 1984 edition, which was co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour. Starting in 1994, it became a permanent LPGA Tour event, which increased both the quality of the field and the event's prestige. It has been an official LPGA major since 2001, when it replaced the Canadian Women's Open, which lost its title sponsor because of tobacco sponsorship regulations. In 2005, the starting field size was increased to 150, but only the low 65 (plus ties) survive the cut after the second round. In both 2007 and 2008 the prize fund was £1.05 million. Starting in 2009, the prize fund changed from being fixed in pounds to U.S. dollars.

Tied for most victories in the Women's British Open with three each are Karrie Webb of Australia and Sherri Steinhauer of the United States. Both won the tournament twice before it became an LPGA major and once after. Yani Tseng of Taiwan and Jiyai Shin of South Korea are the only multiple winners of the championship as a major. The other multiple winner is Debbie Massey of the U.S., with consecutive wins (1980 and 1981) well before it was an LPGA co-sanctioned event.

Winners

Year Dates Champion Venue Score To par Marginof victory Runner(s)-up Purse($) Winner'sshare ($) RefAIG Women's Open2026 30 Jul – 2 Aug Shiho Kuwaki Royal Lytham & St Annes 279 –5 Playoff Esther Henseleit 10,000,000 1,500,000 2025 31 Jul – 3 Aug Miyū Yamashita Royal Porthcawl 277 –11 2 strokes Charley Hull Minami Katsu 9,750,000 1,462,500 2024 22–25 Aug Lydia Ko St Andrews 281 −7 2 strokes Nelly Korda Jiyai Shin Lilia Vu Ruoning Yin 9,000,000 1,350,000 2023 10–13 Aug Lilia Vu Walton Heath 274 −14 6 strokes Charley Hull 9,000,000 1,350,000 2022 4–7 Aug Ashleigh Buhai Muirfield 274 −10 Playoff Chun In-gee 7,300,000 1,095,000 2021 19–22 Aug Anna Nordqvist Carnoustie, Championship 276 −12 1 stroke Georgia Hall Madelene Sagström Lizette Salas 5,800,000 870,000 2020 20–23 Aug Sophia Popov Royal Troon, Old Course 277 −7 2 strokes Thidapa Suwannapura 4,500,000 675,000 AIG Women's British Open2019 1–4 Aug Hinako Shibuno Woburn, Marquess Course 270 −18 1 stroke Lizette Salas 4,500,000 675,000 Ricoh Women's British Open2018 2–5 Aug Georgia Hall Royal Lytham & St Annes 271 −17 2 strokes Pornanong Phatlum 3,250,000 490,000 2017 3–6 Aug In-Kyung Kim Kingsbarns 270 −18 2 strokes Jodi Ewart Shadoff 3,250,000 504,821 2016 28–31 Jul Ariya Jutanugarn Woburn, Marquess Course 272 −16 3 strokes Mirim Lee Mo Martin 3,000,000 412,047 2015 30 Jul – 2 Aug Inbee Park Turnberry 276 −12 3 strokes Ko Jin-young 3,000,000 464,817 2014 10–13 Jul Mo Martin Royal Birkdale 287 −1 1 stroke Shanshan Feng Suzann Pettersen 3,000,000 474,575 2013 1–4 Aug Stacy Lewis St Andrews 280 −8 2 strokes Na Yeon Choi Hee Young Park 2,750,000 402,583 2012 13–16 Sep Jiyai Shin Royal Liverpool 279 −9 9 strokes Inbee Park 2,750,000 428,650 2011 28–31 Jul Yani Tseng Carnoustie 272 −16 4 strokes Brittany Lang 2,500,000 392,133 Women's British Open 2010 29 Jul – 1 Aug Yani Tseng Royal Birkdale 277 −11 1 stroke Katherine Hull 2,500,000 408,714 2009 30 Jul – 2 Aug Catriona Matthew Royal Lytham & St Annes 285 −3 3 strokes Karrie Webb 2,200,000 335,000 2008 31 Jul – 3 Aug Jiyai Shin Sunningdale 270 −18 3 strokes Yani Tseng 2,100,000 314,464 2007 2–5 Aug Lorena Ochoa St Andrews 287 −5 4 strokes Maria Hjorth Jee Young Lee 2,000,000 320,512 2006 3–6 Aug Sherri Steinhauer Royal Lytham & St Annes 281 −7 3 strokes Sophie Gustafson Cristie Kerr 1,800,000 305,440 2005 28–31 July Jeong Jang Royal Birkdale 272 −16 4 strokes Sophie Gustafson 1,800,000 280,208 2004 29 July – 1 Aug Karen Stupples Sunningdale 269 −19 5 strokes Rachel Hetherington 1,600,000 290,880 2003 31 July – 3 Aug Annika Sörenstam Royal Lytham & St Annes 278 −10 1 stroke Se Ri Pak 1,600,000 254,880 2002 8–11 Aug Karrie Webb Turnberry 273 −15 2 strokes Michelle Ellis Paula Martí 1,500,000 236,383 2001 2–5 Aug Se Ri Pak Sunningdale 277 −11 2 strokes Mi Hyun Kim 1,500,000 221,650 2000 17–20 Aug Sophie Gustafson Royal Birkdale 282 −10 2 strokes Becky Iverson Meg Mallon Liselotte Neumann Kirsty Taylor 1,250,000 178,000 1999 12–15 Aug Sherri Steinhauer Woburn, Duke's Course 283 −9 1 stroke Annika Sörenstam 1,000,000 160,000 1998 13–16 Aug Sherri Steinhauer Royal Lytham & St Annes 292 +4 1 stroke Brandie Burton Sophie Gustafson 1,000,000 162,000 1997 14–17 Aug Karrie Webb Sunningdale 269 −19 8 strokes Rosie Jones 900,000 129,938 1996 15–18 Aug Emilee Klein Woburn, Duke's Course 277 −11 7 strokes Amy Alcott Penny Hammel 850,000 124,000 1995 17–20 Aug Karrie Webb Woburn, Duke's Course 278 −10 6 strokes Annika Sörenstam Jill McGill 600,000 92,400 1994 11–14 Aug Liselotte Neumann Woburn, Duke's Course 280 −8 3 strokes Annika Sörenstam 500,000 80,325 Weetabix Women's British Open1993 Karen Lunn Woburn, Duke's Course 275 8 strokes Brandie Burton £300,000 £50,000 1992 Patty Sheehan Woburn, Duke's Course 207 3 strokes Corinne Dibnah £300,000 £50,000 1991 Penny Grice-Whittaker Woburn, Duke's Course 284 3 strokes Helen Alfredsson Diane Barnard £150,000 £25,000 1990 Helen Alfredsson Woburn, Duke's Course 288 Playoff Jane Hill £130,000 £20,000 1989 Jane Geddes Ferndown 274 2 strokes Florence Descampe £120,000 £18,000 1988 Corinne Dibnah Lindrick 295 Playoff Sally Little £100,000 £15,000 1987 Alison Nicholas St Mellion 296 1 stroke Laura Davies Muffin Spencer-Devlin £100,000 £15,000 Women's British Open1986 Laura Davies Royal Birkdale 283 4 strokes Peggy Conley Marta Figueras-Dotti £60,000 £9,000 Burberry Women's British Open1985 Betsy King Moor Park 300 2 strokes Marta Figueras-Dotti £60,000 £9,000 Hitachi Ladies British Open1984 Ayako Okamoto Woburn, Duke's Course 289 ｰ3 11 strokes Betsy King Dale Reid £160,000 £24,000 1983 Cancelled Pretty Polly Women's British Open1982 Marta Figueras-Dotti (a) Royal Birkdale 296 1 stroke Rosie Jones Jenny Lee Smith £23,000 (£6,000) 1981 Debbie Massey Northumberland 295 4 strokes Belle Robertson (a) £19,000 £5,600 1980 Debbie Massey Wentworth 294 1 stroke Marta Figueras-Dotti (a) Belle Robertson (a) £15,000 £4,500 1979 Alison Sheard Southport & Ainsdale 301 3 strokes Mickey Walker £10,000 £3,000 Women's British Open1978 Janet Melville (a) Foxhills 310 2 strokes Wilma Aitken (a) (£1,000) 1977 Vivien Saunders Lindrick Golf Club 306 Countback Mary Everard (a) £500 £210 1976 Jenny Lee Smith (a) Fulford 299 2 strokes Mary McKenna (a) £500 (£210) (a) denotes amateur Source for later tournaments:

Host courses The Women's Open has been played at the following courses, listed in order of number of times hosted (as of 2026): 9 Woburn Golf Club (Duke's Course) 6 Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club 4 Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course) 3 St Andrews Links (Old Course) 2 Woburn Golf Club (Marquess Course), Turnberry Golf Club (Ailsa Course), Lindrick Golf Club, Carnoustie Golf Links 1 Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Kingsbarns Golf Links, Fulford Golf Club, Wentworth Golf Club, Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club, Ferndown Golf Club, St. Mellion, Moor Park Golf Club, Northumberland Golf Club, Foxhills Golf Club, Muirfield, Walton Heath Golf Club, Royal Porthcawl Golf Club

Future venues YearEditionCourseLocationDatesPreviously hosted2027 51st Royal St George's Golf Club Sandwich, Kent, England 28 July – 1 August 2028 52nd Sunningdale Golf Club Sunningdale, Berkshire, England 14 – 20 August 1997, 2001, 2004, 2008

Smyth Salver The Smyth Salver is awarded to the leading amateur, provided that the player completes all 72 holes, for one year. The winner also receives a silver medal. The salver was donated by Moira Smyth, a past president of the Ladies' Golf Union.https://issuu.com/lgucl/docs/lguyearbook2016 LGU 2016 Yearbook

1979 – Sue Hedges