Shiho Kuwaki is a Major champion after defeating Esther Henseleit in a two-hole playoff at the 50th edition of the AIG Women’s Open held at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
The Japanese star had been near the top of the leaderboard all week with an opening 66 (-5) followed by a 70 (-1) and a 73 (+2).
On the final day, she held her nerve to shoot a round of 70 (-1), which included three birdies and two bogeys, to set the clubhouse lead on five-under-par.
Germany’s Esther Henseleit rolled in a dramatic 40-foot putt on the 18th hole for birdie to tie Kuwaki and take the championship into a playoff.
After being joined by Germany’s Henseleit at the top of the leaderboard, the duo headed back down 18 and each made a par on the first playoff hole.
The 23-year-old Kuwaki then found the fairway and green in two on her second attempt, while Henseleit’s ball went in the gorse off the tee.
Despite recovering well, the German missed her par putt and made bogey leaving Kuwaki to sink her par putt and win the 2026 AIG Women’s Open following in the footsteps of 2025 Champion Miyu Yamashita. Kuwaki became the third Japanese player to win the Women’s British Open in the past eight years, taking home a winner’s check of $1.5 million.
It was a tough loss for Henseleit, but her second place finish earned her a spot on the European Solheim Cup Team. The 20th staging of the Solheim Cup takes place September 11-13 at Bernardus Golf near Amsterdam. The U.S. leads the series 11-7-1.
Paula Martín Sampedro won the coveted Smyth Salver award for the second consecutive year after an impressive showing at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
The Smyth Salver is awarded to the amateur who records the lowest score at the AIG Women’s Open, provided they complete all four rounds. Martín Sampedro posted a final-round 72 following earlier scores of 69, 71, and 76 to finish on four-over par.
Nelly Korda has won the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award after earning 140 points through the five major championships of the 2026 LPGA Tour season. She is the second player to earn the award twice, following Minjee Lee who secured the honor in 2025 and 2022.
Korda also leads in Rolex Player of the Year points and is No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
Entering the AIG Women’s Open, Korda and Haeran Ryu were the only two athletes eligible to win the prestigious award since they each claimed two major championship victories in 2026. Because of a T8 finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Korda held a six-point advantage over Ryu heading to Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.
After four days of links golf, Korda tied for fourth with rounds of 73-68-73-68 to finish at 2-under overall. Her performance earned her 14 points, which were enough to top Ryu and secure the award.
Entering 2026, the 28-year-old had not won a major championship since 2024. She opened her major season with a win at The Chevron Championship, held for the first time at Memorial Park Golf Club. Korda followed up that success with a win at the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally at the host site of the 2028 Olympic Games, Riviera Country Club. With that victory, Korda became the first American to win the first two majors of the season since Pat Bradley in 1986.
Korda will be in action at The Annika Driven by Gainbridge LPGA Tournament Nov. 11-15 at The Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fl. Tickets are available now: https://theannika.com/tickets#tickets
On the PGA Tour, Michael Thorbjornsen shot 7- under 63 to reach 18 under par to win his first PGA Tour title by two shorts at the Rocket Classic on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Thorbjornsen sealed his spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, advancing to the postseason after this week’s Wyndham Championship. He won $1,800,000, plus a two-year PGA Tour exemption and an invitation to the 2027 Masters.
There have been 8 first-time winners on the PGA Tour during the 2026 season.
The 2026 tournament (recently shortened to the Rocket Classic) marked the eighth and final year of title sponsorship by Rocket Mortgage. The historic North Course at Detroit Golf Club (a Donald Ross design) recently had a $16 million restoration led by golf course architect Tyler Rae.
Rae introduced over 100 deeper, redesigned sand traps featuring dramatic, lacy golden fescue grass “eyebrows” and whiskers that completely transform the visual character of the course. Another resent Donald Ross renovation at the 100 year old Dunedin Golf Club, in Dunedin, Florida would do well to integrate this design feature. I love it.
Thorbjornsen, a Stanford college standout, joins Akshay Bhatia as a former Drive, Chip & Putt National Champion qualifying to play in the Masters Tournament.
In local Tampa Bay Area news, the 2026 Ronald McDonald House Annual Charity Golf Classic will be held November 13, 2026 at Westchase Golf Club in Tampa. To register and for more information contact Events@ronaldmcdonaldhousetb.org
Enjoy your golf.
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