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Women's British Open

Professional golf competition

Summary

Professional golf competition

Field	Value
name	The AIG Women's Open
location	United Kingdom
establishment
lang	uk
org	The R&A
course	varies; Royal Porthcawl (2025)
Porthcawl, Wales
par	72 (in 2025)
yardage	6748 yd (2024)
tour	LPGA Tour (1984, 1994–)
LET (1979–)
format	Stroke play
purse	$9,750,000
€8,464,937
£7,356,759
month_played	August
aggregate	269 Karrie Webb (1997)
269 Karen Stupples (2004)
to-par	−19 Karrie Webb (1997)
−19 Karen Stupples (2004)
current_champion	JPN Miyū Yamashita
current	2026 Women's British Open

Porthcawl, Wales LET (1979–) €8,464,937 £7,356,759 269 Karen Stupples (2004) | to-par = −19 Karrie Webb (1997) −19 Karen Stupples (2004) 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 Miyū Yamashita, who won at the 2025 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.

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		Margin
of victory		Runner(s)-up		Purse
($)		Winner's
share ($)		Ref	AIG Women's Open	AIG Women's British Open	Ricoh Women's British Open	Women's British Open	Weetabix Women's British Open	Women's British Open	Burberry Women's British Open	Hitachi Ladies British Open	Pretty Polly Women's British Open	Women's British Open
2025	31 Jul – 3 Aug	JPN Miyū Yamashita	Royal Porthcawl	277	–11	2 strokes	ENG Charley Hull
JPN Minami Katsu	9,750,000	1,462,500
2024	22–25 Aug	NZL Lydia Ko	St Andrews	281	−7	2 strokes	USA Nelly Korda
KOR Jiyai Shin
USA Lilia Vu
CHN Ruoning Yin	9,000,000	1,350,000
2023	10–13 Aug	USA Lilia Vu	Walton Heath	274	−14	6 strokes	ENG Charley Hull	9,000,000	1,350,000
2022	4–7 Aug	ZAF Ashleigh Buhai	Muirfield	274	−10	Playoff	KOR Chun In-gee	7,300,000	1,095,000
2021	19–22 Aug	SWE Anna Nordqvist	Carnoustie, Championship	276	−12	1 stroke	ENG Georgia Hall
SWE Madelene Sagström
USA Lizette Salas	5,800,000	870,000
2020	20–23 Aug	GER Sophia Popov	Royal Troon, Old Course	277	−7	2 strokes	THA Thidapa Suwannapura	4,500,000	675,000
2019	1–4 Aug	JPN Hinako Shibuno	Woburn, Marquess Course	270	−18	1 stroke	USA Lizette Salas	4,500,000	675,000
2018	2–5 Aug	ENG Georgia Hall	Royal Lytham & St Annes	271	−17	2 strokes	THA Pornanong Phatlum	3,250,000	490,000
2017	3–6 Aug	KOR In-Kyung Kim	Kingsbarns	270	−18	2 strokes	ENG Jodi Ewart Shadoff	3,250,000	504,821
2016	28–31 Jul	THA Ariya Jutanugarn	Woburn, Marquess Course	272	−16	3 strokes	KOR Mirim Lee
USA Mo Martin	3,000,000	412,047
2015	30 Jul – 2 Aug	KOR Inbee Park	Turnberry	276	−12	3 strokes	KOR Ko Jin-young	3,000,000	464,817
2014	10–13 Jul	USA Mo Martin	Royal Birkdale	287	−1	1 stroke	CHN Shanshan Feng
NOR Suzann Pettersen	3,000,000	474,575
2013	1–4 Aug	USA Stacy Lewis	St Andrews	280	−8	2 strokes	KOR Na Yeon Choi
KOR Hee Young Park	2,750,000	402,583
2012	13–16 Sep	KOR Jiyai Shin	Royal Liverpool	279	−9	9 strokes	KOR Inbee Park	2,750,000	428,650
2011	28–31 Jul	TWN Yani Tseng	Carnoustie	272	−16	4 strokes	USA Brittany Lang	2,500,000	392,133
2010	29 Jul – 1 Aug	TWN Yani Tseng	Royal Birkdale	277	−11	1 stroke	AUS Katherine Hull	2,500,000	408,714
2009	30 Jul – 2 Aug	SCO Catriona Matthew	Royal Lytham & St Annes	285	−3	3 strokes	AUS Karrie Webb	2,200,000	335,000
2008	31 Jul – 3 Aug	KOR Jiyai Shin	Sunningdale	270	−18	3 strokes	TWN Yani Tseng	2,100,000	314,464
2007	2–5 Aug	MEX Lorena Ochoa	St Andrews	287	−5	4 strokes	SWE Maria Hjorth
KOR Jee Young Lee	2,000,000	320,512
2006	3–6 Aug	USA Sherri Steinhauer	Royal Lytham & St Annes	281	−7	3 strokes	SWE Sophie Gustafson
USA Cristie Kerr	1,800,000	305,440
2005	28–31 July	KOR Jeong Jang	Royal Birkdale	272	−16	4 strokes	SWE Sophie Gustafson	1,800,000	280,208
2004	29 July – 1 Aug	ENG Karen Stupples	Sunningdale	269	−19	5 strokes	AUS Rachel Hetherington	1,600,000	290,880
2003	31 July – 3 Aug	SWE Annika Sörenstam	Royal Lytham & St Annes	278	−10	1 stroke	KOR Se Ri Pak	1,600,000	254,880
2002	8–11 Aug	AUS Karrie Webb	Turnberry	273	−15	2 strokes	AUS Michelle Ellis
ESP Paula Martí	1,500,000	236,383
2001	2–5 Aug	KOR Se Ri Pak	Sunningdale	277	−11	2 strokes	KOR Mi Hyun Kim	1,500,000	221,650
2000	17–20 Aug	SWE Sophie Gustafson	Royal Birkdale	282	−10	2 strokes	USA Becky Iverson
USA Meg Mallon
SWE Liselotte Neumann
ENG Kirsty Taylor	1,250,000	178,000
1999	12–15 Aug	USA Sherri Steinhauer	Woburn, Duke's Course	283	−9	1 stroke	SWE Annika Sörenstam	1,000,000	160,000
1998	13–16 Aug	USA Sherri Steinhauer	Royal Lytham & St Annes	292	+4	1 stroke	USA Brandie Burton
SWE Sophie Gustafson	1,000,000	162,000
1997	14–17 Aug	AUS Karrie Webb	Sunningdale	269	−19	8 strokes	USA Rosie Jones	900,000	129,938
1996	15–18 Aug	USA Emilee Klein	Woburn, Duke's Course	277	−11	7 strokes	USA Amy Alcott
USA Penny Hammel	850,000	124,000
1995	17–20 Aug	AUS Karrie Webb	Woburn, Duke's Course	278	−10	6 strokes	SWE Annika Sörenstam
USA Jill McGill	600,000	92,400
1994	11–14 Aug	SWE Liselotte Neumann	Woburn, Duke's Course	280	−8	3 strokes	SWE Annika Sörenstam	500,000	80,325
1993		AUS Karen Lunn	Woburn, Duke's Course	275		8 strokes	USA Brandie Burton	£300,000	£50,000
1992		USA Patty Sheehan	Woburn, Duke's Course	207		3 strokes	AUS Corinne Dibnah	£300,000	£50,000
1991		ENG Penny Grice-Whittaker	Woburn, Duke's Course	284		3 strokes	SWE Helen Alfredsson
ENG Diane Barnard	£150,000	£25,000
1990		SWE Helen Alfredsson	Woburn, Duke's Course	288		Playoff	ZWE Jane Hill	£130,000	£20,000
1989		USA Jane Geddes	Ferndown	274		2 strokes	BEL Florence Descampe	£120,000	£18,000
1988		AUS Corinne Dibnah	Lindrick	295		Playoff	USA Sally Little	£100,000	£15,000
1987		ENG Alison Nicholas	St Mellion	296		1 stroke	ENG Laura Davies
USA Muffin Spencer-Devlin	£100,000	£15,000
1986		ENG Laura Davies	Royal Birkdale	283		4 strokes	USA Peggy Conley
ESP Marta Figueras-Dotti	£60,000	£9,000
1985		USA Betsy King	Moor Park	300		2 strokes	ESP Marta Figueras-Dotti	£60,000	£9,000
1984		JPN Ayako Okamoto	Woburn, Duke's Course	289	ｰ3	11 strokes	USA Betsy King
SCO Dale Reid	£160,000	£24,000
1983	Cancelled
1982		ESP Marta Figueras-Dotti (a)	Royal Birkdale	296		1 stroke	USA Rosie Jones
ENG Jenny Lee Smith	£23,000	(£6,000)
1981		USA Debbie Massey	Northumberland	295		4 strokes	SCO Belle Robertson (a)	£19,000	£5,600
1980		USA Debbie Massey	Wentworth	294		1 stroke	ESP Marta Figueras-Dotti (a)
SCO Belle Robertson (a)	£15,000	£4,500
1979		ZAF Alison Sheard	Southport & Ainsdale	301		3 strokes	ENG Mickey Walker	£10,000	£3,000
1978		ENG Janet Melville (a)	Foxhills	310		2 strokes	SCO Wilma Aitken (a)		(£1,000)	url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RbZAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rqUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1758%2C5761389	title=Janet in youngest British champion	newspaper=The Glasgow Herald	date=29 July 1978	page=15}}
1977		ENG Vivien Saunders	Lindrick Golf Club	306		Countback	ENG Mary Everard (a)	£500	£210	url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kdw-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=50wMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1516%2C721785	title=Vivien's title on last 18	newspaper=The Glasgow Herald	date=3 September 1977	page=16}}
1976		ENG Jenny Lee Smith (a)	Fulford	299		2 strokes	IRL Mary McKenna (a)	£500	(£210)	url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eN49AAAAIBAJ&sjid=M0gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1687%2C1025831	title=Sandra's hopes dashed	newspaper=The Glasgow Herald	date=4 September 1976	page=14}}

(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 2025):

9 Woburn Golf Club (Duke's Course)
6 Royal Birkdale Golf Club
5 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
4 [[Sunningdale Golf Club|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

Year	Edition	Course	Location	Dates	Previously hosted
2026	50th	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England	29 July – 2 August	1998, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2018
2027	51st	Royal St George's Golf Club	Sandwich, Kent, England	28 July – 1 August

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.

1979 – Sue Hedges
1980 – Marta Figueras-Dotti & Belle Robertson
1981 – Belle Robertson
1982 – Marta Figueras-Dotti
1983 – No championship
1984 – Mary McKenna
1985 – Jill Thornhill
1986 – Vicki Thomas
1987 – Joanne Furby
1988 – Kathryn Imrie
1989 – Joanne Morley
1990 – Sarah Bennett
1991 – Akiko Fukushima
1992 – None
1993 – Patricia Meunier & Joanne Morley
1994 – Tina Fischer
1995 – Lisa Dermott
1996 – Barbara Hackett
1997 – Silvia Cavalleri
1998 – None
1999 – Giulia Sergas
2000 – None
2001 – Rebecca Hudson
2002 – None
2003 – Elisa Serramia
2004 – Louise Stahle
2005 – Michelle Wie
2006 – Amy Yang
2007 – Melissa Reid
2008 – Anna Nordqvist
2009 – None
2010 – Caroline Hedwall
2011 – Danielle Kang
2012 – Lydia Ko
2013 – Georgia Hall & Lydia Ko
2014 – Emma Talley
2015 – Luna Sobrón
2016 – Leona Maguire
2017 – Sophie Lamb
2018 – Atthaya Thitikul
2019 – Atthaya Thitikul
2020 – None
2021 – Louise Duncan
2022 – Rose Zhang
2023 – Charlotte Heath
2024 – Lottie Woad
2025 – Paula Martín Sampedro

References

Nichols, Beth Ann. "2025 Women's British Open prize money payouts include a record $1,462,500 to Miyu Yamashita".
"Currency converter". xe.com.
"Championship History".
(22 July 2020). "Women's Open drops 'British' from title in sponsorship rebrand".
(2023-08-09). "The R&A and AIG Extend AIG Women’s Open Partnership Through 2030". LPGA.
(1 July 1976). "Women put up own prize money". The Glasgow Herald.
(1 September 1976). "Julia Greenhalgh". The Glasgow Herald.
(3 September 1976). "Sandra's challenge fades". The Glasgow Herald.
(27 July 1978). "Cathy's 79 is fine as open scores rocket". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(2025-07-24). "The Merger That Changed the Future of Women's Golf in 2017".
(19 June 2013). "She's Back in the Picture". Golf Digest.
(7 August 1989). "Descampe charges but Geddes is champion". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(3 August 1987). "Nicholas breaks through at last". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(13 October 1986). "Laura outscores foreign invaders". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(7 October 1985). "Miss King begins a new reign". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(8 October 1984). "Dale deserves prize for her lone battle". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(12 March 1983). "Hitachi pull the plug". The Guardian.
(2 August 1982). "Professional win for a new Spanish graduate". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(3 August 1981). "Debbie pulls away from the field". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(28 July 1980). "Belle second with a 69". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(30 July 1979). "Birdie finish gives Alison British title". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(29 July 1978). "Janet in youngest British champion". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(3 September 1977). "Vivien's title on last 18". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
(4 September 1976). "Sandra's hopes dashed". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
"Ricoh Women's British Open Past Winners". LPGA.
"Royal Lytham & St Annes AIG Women's Open 2026".
"Royal St George's AIG Women's Open 2027".
https://issuu.com/lgucl/docs/lguyearbook2016 {{Webarchive. link. (30 August 2021 LGU 2016 Yearbook)

Wikipedia Source

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