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Women's British Open

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The Women's Open, also known as the Women's British Open, was first held in 1976 when the Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship allowed professionals to take part. The two events split into two separate tournaments in 1979.

Following the Women’s Canadian Open (formerly the du Maurier Classic) losing its sponsorship and Major status in 2000, the Women's British Open replaced it and the first British Open winner as a Major in 2001 was South Korea’s Se Ri Pak.

Following a sponsorship deal with the American finance and insurance corporation, AIG, in 2019 it is currently known as the AIG Women's Open.

Unlike the men’s British Open, the women’s equivalent is not played on links courses, although many of the courses have staged both events and Royal St. George's and Royal Portrush are the only two courses currently on the men’s roster not to have hosted the Women’s Open, although the 2027 Women’s Open is scheduled for St. George’s.

NOTE: .All the information below is for the period that the Open has been a Major, 2001-25, unless otherwise stated

Most Wins (1976-2025)

Wins	Golfer (Country)	Years
3	Karrie Webb (Australia)	1995, 1997, 2002*
3	Sherri Steinhauer (USA)	1998-99, 2006*
2	Debbie Massey (USA)	1980-81
2	Yani Tseng (Taiwan)	2010-11
2	Jiyai Shin (South Korea)	2008, 2012

* Indicates event was a Major at the time.

Yani Tseng and Jiyai Shin are the only two golfers to win the event twice as a Major.

Lowest 72-Hole Totals

Total	Golfer (Country)	Year
269	Karen Stupples (England)	2004
270	Jiyai Shin (South Korea)	2008
270	In-Kyung Kim (South Korea)	2017
270	Hinako Shibuno (Japan)	2019
271	Georgia Hall (England)	2018
271	Lizette Salas (USA)	2019
272	Jeong Jang (South Korea)	2005
272	Yani Tseng (Taiwan)	2011
272	Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) ‡	2017
272	Ko Jin-young (South Korea) †	2019

‡ Runner-up | † Finished third

Karrie Webb also won with a total of 269 in 1997 in the Open’s pre-Major days.

The lowest single round in the Women’s British Open is 62 achieved by: Minea Blomqvist (Finland), 2004 and Mirim Lee (South Korea), 2016

Biggest Winning Margin

Margin	Golfer (Country)	Year
9	Jiyai Shin (South Korea)	2012
6	Lilia Vu (USA)	2023
5	Karen Stupples (England	2004
4	Yani Tseng (Taiwan)	2011
4	Lorena Ochoa (Mexico)	2007
4	Jeong Jang (South Korea)	2005

Stupples (above) won with a record 19-under-par for the tournament, although Karrie Webb (Australia) had previously won with a score of 19-under in 1997 when the Open was not a Major.

Oldest Winners

Age *	Golfer	Year
43 years 222 days	Sherri Steinhauer (USA	2006
39 years 342 days	Catriona Matthew (Scotland)	2009
34 years 73 days	Anna Nordqvist (Sweden)	2021
33 years 88 days	Ashleigh Buhai (South Africa)	2022
32 years 298 days	Annika Sorenstam (Sweden)	2023

* Age at time of last win

When Catriona Matthew won the 2009 Open, it was just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second child at the age of 39.

Youngest Winners

Age *	Golfer (Country)	Year
20 years 97 days	Jiyai Shin (South Korea)	2008
20 years 250 days	Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand)	2016
20 years 262 days	Hinako Shibuno (Japan)	2019
21 years 190 days	Yani Tseng (Taiwan)	2010
22years 115 days	Georgia Hall (England)	2018

* Age at time of first win

Countries Providing the Most winners

Total	Country	First Win	Last Win
6	South Korea	2001	2017
4	USA	2006	2023
2	England	2004	2018
2	Japan	2019	2025
2	Sweden	2003	2021
2	Taiwan	2010	2011

The following countries have all won the Open on one occasion:
Australia (2002), Mexico (2007), Scotland (2009), Thailand (2016), Germany (2020), South Africa (2022), New Zealand (2024)

Since being a Major, Taiwan (as above) and the USA (2013-14) are the only countries to win the Open in successive years.

Most Used Courses

Total	Course	First Used	Last Used
4	Royal Lytham & St Annes, England	2003	2018
3	Royal Birkdale, England	2005	2014
3	St Andrews, Scotland	2006	2024
3	Sunningdale, England	2001	2008
2	Woburn, England	2016	2019
2	Turnberry, Scotland	2002	2015
2	Carnoustie, Scotland	2011	2021

Woburn Golf Club has hosted the Women’s British Open a record 11 times since the event was inaugurated in 1976.

The only Welsh course to have hosted the Open since 2001 is Royal Porthcawl in 2025.The event has not been played in Northern Ireland either before or after it received Major status in 2001.

In addition to the courses above, the following have hosted the championship on one occasion each since 200 1: Royal Liverpool , England(2012), Kingsbarns, Scotland (2017), Royal Troon, Scotland (2020), Muirfield, Scotland (2022), Walton Heath. England (2023), Royal Porthcawl, Wales (2025).

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