On the heels of the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, the LPGA Tour will tee it up for a second week in Scotland for the Women’s Open, the season’s final major
Co-sanctioned by the LPGA and Ladies European Tour (LET), the 45th edition of the Women’s Open will be contested at Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland.
World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, No. 2 Minjee Lee and No. 3 Nelly Korda, alongside defending champion Anna Nordqvist, lead a field of 144 players vying for the prestigious title, along with a $1 million first-place prize.
At-a-Glance
Tournament: AIG Women’s Open
Managed By: LPGA and LET
Title Sponsor: AIG
Dates: Aug. 4-7, 2022
Course: Muirfield
Where: Gullane, Scotland
Vitals: par 72 (36-36), 6,680 yards
Architect: Tom Morris Sr. (1891)
Purse: $6,800,000
Winning Share: $1,020,00
Defending: Anna Nordqvist
How To Follow the 2022 Women’s Open
TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 6 a.m.-1 p.m. (USA); Sat-Sun: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (USA), 12-3 p.m. (NBC)
SOCIAL: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | #AIGWO, #WorldClass
The Women’s Open History
The Women’s British Open was first played in 1976 and established by the Ladies’ Golf Union – the governing body for women’s and girls’ amateur golf in Great Britain and Ireland.
The organizers hoped to create a women’s equivalent of men’s British Open Championship. At first the reception was lukewarm, and the tournament was played at, what were considered, “second tier” courses for several years.
In 1994, the LPGA co-sanctioned it as an official tour stop, and as the sport of golf exploded in the late 90s, the brand index of the event grew stronger, which delivered more prestigious links courses playing host – including Royal Lytham & St Annes (1998, 2003, 2006), Royal Birkdale (2000, 2005, 2010), and Turnberry (2002).
The LPGA Tour named it as one of its majors in 2001, as a replacement for the du Maurier Classic in Canada.
In 2007, the tournament finally reached the holy grail, and played at the Old Course at St Andrews.
This edition of the Women’s British Open marks the 22nd year as a LPGA major championship.
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.
AIG came on in 2019 and signed on through 2025 as part of a deal with The R&A to rebrand it the AIG Women’s Open, removing the “British” qualifier, to be more in line with the R&A’s men’s championships.
Recent Winners
2021 – Anna Nordqvist (Carnoustie, −18)
2020 – Sophia Popov (Royal Troon, −18)
2019 – Hinako Shibuno (Woburn, −18)
2018 – Georgia Hall (Royal Lytham, −18)
2017 – In-Kyung Kim (Kingsbarns, −18)
2016 – Ariya Jutanugarn (Woburn, −16)
2015 – Inbee Park (Trump Turnberry, −12)
2014 – Mo Martin (Royal Birkdale, −1)
2013 – Stacy Lewis (St Andrews, −8)
2012 – Jiyai Shin (Royal Liverpool, −9)
The Course: Muirfield
Muirfield Golf Club is one of courses in the British Open rota, having hosted the oldest men’s major 16 times, including Jack Nicklaus’ maiden British Open in 1966. (Nicklaus’ home course in Dublin, Ohio which hosts the PGA Tour’ Memorial, was named after the Scotland course.)
This will be the debut of the Women’s British Open at the famed Scotland track.
The course was built in 1891 by Tom Morris Sr. It’s claim to fame is hosting the first golf tournament (1892 Open) over four rounds or 72 holes.
For the women’s major championship, Muirfield will play to a par 72 (36-36) and stretch to 6,680 yards.
The Field
The 144-player field in Scotland includes all of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, headlined by the world’s top five in Jin Young Ko (1), Minjee Lee (2), Nelly Korda (3), Lydia Ko (4) and Brooke Henderson (5).
(Lydia) Ko (10-1) is the betting favorite, as the former world No. 1 enters in red-hot form, highlighted by five top-5 finishes in her last six starts. Korda is offered at 11-1 as the American superstar appears to be rounding into form and comes off three top-10s in her last four starts, including a pair of top-10s in the two of the three recent majors.
(Minjee) Lee is next at 12-1. The reigning U.S. Open champion enters in solid form featuring four top-20s in her last five starts, headlined by a win at the season’s second major: the U.S. Open.
Red-hot Hyo Joo Kim is next at 14-1. The Korean is coming off three straight top-5 finishes including back-to-back top-3s. The world No. 1 (Jin Young) Ko is being offered at 16-1 and comes into the season’s final major in questionable form, due to three finishes outside the top-15 in her four most recent starts, including a total dud (T71) last week in Scotland.
Henderson, the freshly minted two-time major winner, is listed at 18-1. The Canadian star owns two wins in her last four starts.
England’s Georgia Hall, the 2018 Open champion, along with American Lexi Thompson and Thai Atthaya Thitikul are all being offered at 20-1 with Japan’s Nasa Hataoka rounding out the top-10 betting favorites at 22-1.
Defending champion Anna Nordqvist is a more of a longshot this week, with the 24th-ranked veteran listed at 50-1. The Swede enters off string of solid finishes, including three top-25 finishes in the last three majors as well as a win on the LET tour.
A handful of top Americans will be in the field as well, including Jessica Korda, Megan Khang, and 2022 major winner Jennifer Kupcho.
The field is additionally highlighted by marquee names such as England’s Charley Hull, France’s Celine Boutier, Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Thai Patty Tavatanakit, among others.
Top-5 Betting Favorites
1. Lydia Ko (10-1)
2. Nelly Korda (11-1)
3. Minjee Lee (12-1)
4. Hyo Joo Kim (14-1)
5. Jin Young (16-1)
Full Field & Odds
AIG Women’s Open | Muirfield (Scotland) | Aug 4-7, 2022
