AIG Women’s Open – key storylines to follow: Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, Solheim Cup watch and hopes for a major British victory | Golf News

Storylines to follow ahead of the 50th anniversary of the AIG Women’s Open, live on Sky Sports, where Nelly Korda and Charley Hull are among those eyeing big wins at Royal Lytham and St Annes…

Can Korda and Ryu make another big history?

The women’s senior season has been dominated by two players, with Nelly Korda and Haeran Ryu both having a chance to equal the biggest win of the calendar year.

Korda won the Chevron Championship and the US Women’s Open before Ryu won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Evian Championship, the first time two players have registered multiple majors in one season.

Only six players in history – across men’s and women’s sports – have won three majors in the same year, and Korda and Ryu sought to grace an elite club with victory at the AIG Women’s Open.

Ben Hogan (1953) and Tiger Woods (2000) are the only men to have held it, while Inbee Park won the first three majors in 2013 to match the ages of Babe Zaharias (195), Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986).

Korda and Ryu are the only two in the running for the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, given to the LPGA Tour player with the best record of the season. It may take another big win to decide who lifts that title.

Will Korda seal the glory of the Grand Slam?

Arguably the biggest surprise of the Evian Championship was Korda’s miss, as the pre-tournament favorite has already won four times this season and was expected to challenge for a major victory.

Korda’s early exit in France took her to 34 tournaments and extended her pursuit of a career Grand Slam, having secured her third major title with the US Women’s Open earlier in the season.

The winners of four of the five women’s singles titles are recognized as having completed their Grand Slam careers because of how major tournaments have changed over time, giving Korda a new opportunity this week.

Korda finished runner-up to Lydia Ko at St Andrews in 2024 but will look to go one better in Lancashire, where victory would make her the first woman since Park to join the Grand Slam club.

She finished tied for 16th at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open but remains the player to watch this week, where a 20th LPGA Tour title and fifth major win will secure her the two points needed to secure her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Can Yamashita bounce back at the Women’s Open?

It has been 15 years since Yani Tseng was the last player to back-to-back in a women’s major, following her 2010 victory at Royal Birkdale with a four-stroke victory at Carnoustie the following year, but Miyu Yamashita has a good chance of ending that streak.

Yamashita has won 13 times on the LPGA of Japan Tour but was somewhat unknown to the British audience before last year’s big success, when he denied Charley Hull to win by two shots at Royal Porthcawl.

The Japanese player’s game has gone from strength to strength since, as she added LPGA Tour success at the Maybank Championship later that year before beating Lottie Woad in a play-off to win the Meijer LPGA Classic in June.

That win was one of four top-five finishes in his last six internationals, including a fourth-place finish at the Evian Championship and a fifth-place finish in Scotland last week. Strong form to take the title defense!

Will the Brits enjoy a three-peat at Lytham?

It has been 30 years since Dame Laura Davies won her last major four, and Britain’s women’s side have enjoyed huge honors since taking the stage this week.

Alison Nicholas won the US Women’s Open in 1997 and Karen Stupples won the AIG Women’s Open in 2004, and the last two editions of the event held here at Royal Lytham and St Annes have produced British champions.

Catriona Matthew became Scotland’s first women’s major when she won here in 2009, 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter, and Georgia Hall won by two shots in her 2018 edition.

Hull leads the home hopes this year in her pursuit of a major title, having finished runner-up five times in majors – including twice in three years at the tournament, while Woad hopes to achieve top-10 scores in her last two AIG Women’s Open appearances.

More than 50,000 fans are expected throughout the week of the tournament, many of them hoping to see another British champion.

Who can make a late push for the Solheim Cup in the European team?

The qualifying race for the Team Europe Solheim Cup squad reaches its climax this week, giving players one last chance to try and force their way into Anna Nordqvist’s plans.

Nordqvist has confirmed he will not be playing captain, despite his impressive early form on the LPGA Tour, with the Swede seeing eight of his qualifiers confirmed this weekend before he names four players next week.

Chiara Tamburlini sits in second place on the LET points list ahead of Helen Briem, Agathe Laisne and Cara Gainer, one of those rookie quartet likely to join Charley Hull in that feat.

Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Celine Boutier, Carlota Ciganda, Linn Grant and Esther Henseleit are currently in the top six on offer in the international rankings, while Leona Maguire impressed in Scotland last week as she chases a return to Team Europe.

Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Dutchman Dewi Weber and England’s Mimi Rhodes are among the top 100 European players in the world – could a big week land them in the Solheim Cup?

There will likely be a different look to Nordqvist’s side than the one that played on American soil in 2024. Nordqvist has previously said there are ‘tough calls ahead’ and a few players this week will want to make those decisions even more difficult.

When is the AIG Women’s Open on Sky Sports?

Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the AIG Women’s Open in the UK and Ireland, available for the first time and six hours of live action on Sky Sports than ever before.

Coverage of the drawn teams begins at 9am on Thursday and Friday on Sky Sports Golf, before the full draw at 1pm, with the third and fourth rounds being broadcast live and kicking off at noon on the weekend.

Who will win the AIG Women’s Open? Watch all week live on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream golf and more without a contract.