Record Crowds, Soaring Views and Online Buzz Define 2025 AIG Women’s Open
Wales hosts record-breaking crowds as fans worldwide tune in and log on to celebrate women’s golf at its finest
Porthcawl, Wales - Fans turned out in record numbers, broadcast figures soared and digital engagement surged as the 2025 AIG Women’s Open rewrote the standards for major championship success in women’s golf.
More than 47,000 spectators passed through the gates at Royal Porthcawl over five days, making this year’s event the largest women’s sporting occasion ever held in Wales. Nearly 2,500 of those fans were children, admitted for free through The R&A’s long-running Kids Go Free programme.
The Championship also broke new ground on television. Sky Sports recorded its highest-ever average audience for the opening two rounds of the AIG Women’s Open, underlining the event’s growing pull with viewers in the United Kingdom.
Online, the reach was equally emphatic. YouTube viewership rose by 144% compared to 2024, with a 93% jump in total hours watched and a 133% increase in fan engagements. Instagram engagement reached an all-time high on Saturday, while overall social media impressions rocketed 221% year-on-year. The Championship’s social following also more than tripled with a 316% increase.
Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, hailed the rising impact of the event: “The AIG Women’s Open is making significant strides across the board. We are delighted with how many fans have attended this week and the numbers of fans who have tuned in on television and engaged with our digital platforms. This Championship is a globally significant event and is hugely important to women’s sport and golf in particular.
“We are grateful to AIG and all our partners for their incredible support in continuing to elevate the Championship and it is pleasing to see how this is resonating with fans. We have provided creative and innovative ways for the fans to engage with the Championship and the players and you can see how much they have relished that opportunity.”
The Championship returns in 2026 to Royal Lytham & St Annes from 29 July to 2 August.