De Roey and Wardle share medalist honors as 13 qualify for AIG Women’s Open at St Annes Old Links
Belgian star and English debutant lead breezy Final Qualifying test near Royal Lytham & St Annes
Lytham St Annes, England - Belgium’s Manon De Roey and England’s Bel Wardle topped the leaderboard at Final Qualifying on Monday, firing matching four-under-par 68s at St Annes Old Links to earn their places in the field for the 2026 AIG Women’s Open.
Competing against a 111-player field in testing west coast conditions, 26-year-old Wardle relied on a blistering front-nine 32 to punch her ticket to her maiden Major championship debut. Meanwhile, 34-year-old De Roey—playing in the final group of the day after walking the course late Sunday following the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open—capped off her round with a closing birdie on the 18th to secure her seventh consecutive AIG Women’s Open appearance.
“It was tough out there, but I got on a birdie run which gave me something to fall back on,” said Wardle. “I’ve had a couple of years where I went off form, but I’m just so pleased. Royal Lytham & St Annes is fairly local for me, and it will be like a dream to play in the AIG Women’s Open.”
Five players finished one stroke back at three-under-par 69 to claim automatic qualifying spots: English amateur Lauren Crump, former Curtis Cup player Annabell Fuller, Australia’s Justice Bosio, France’s Vanessa Bouvet, and Spain’s Carla Tejedo Mulet, who holed a clutch eagle putt on the 18th hole.
The final six spots required a high-stakes play-off among eight players tied at two-under-par 70. Ireland’s Anna Foster clinched her ticket on the first extra hole with a birdie, while Chloe Williams, Polly Mack, Ana Peláez Trivino, Amanda Doherty, and past LPGA winner Jodi Ewart Shadoff successfully emerged from additional playoff holes to round out the 13 qualifiers.
The 2026 AIG Women’s Open, the fifth and final Major of the season, tees off at Royal Lytham & St Annes from July 29 to August 2.