AIG Women’s Open Marks 50th Edition With Bigger Purse

Royal Lytham milestone gets $10 million prize fund and record broadcast reach

Paju, Korea - The AIG Women’s Open will mark its 50th anniversary at Royal Lytham & St Annes this summer with a US$10 million prize fund and expanded live broadcast coverage.

The championship, staged from July 29 to August 2, will feature a sixth consecutive prize-fund increase as The R&A and AIG continue to raise the profile of women’s golf.

“This is the sixth consecutive year that the AIG Women’s Open prize fund has been increased,” said Mark Darbon, chief executive of The R&A.

The championship began in 1976, when Jenny Lee Smith won the inaugural title from a total prize fund of £500. Georgia Hall won at Royal Lytham in 2018, when the purse was US$3.25 million.

Coverage will rise to 34 live hours across four days, including early windows for the first two rounds, with live broadcasts in the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and Scandinavia.

Peter Zaffino, chairman and chief executive of AIG, said the championship reflects AIG’s commitment to advancing women in business, sports and society.

Darbon said the expanded coverage, a 20 per cent increase on 2025, gives fans unprecedented access to the world’s best players and sets a new benchmark for women’s golf.

Tickets are available at aigwomensopen.com, with children under 16 admitted free with a paying adult and half-price youth tickets for ages 16 to 24.