Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki is the AIG Women’s Open champion after a sudden-death play-off that swung on the cruelest of breaks — a drive that ricocheted off a course marshal. Here is the full story of a dramatic Sunday at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Kuwaki Wins the Women’s Open in a Play-Off for the Ages
The AIG Women’s Open 2026 produced one of the most dramatic finishes in its 50-edition history, with Shiho Kuwaki of Japan defeating Esther Henseleit of Germany in a sudden-death play-off at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Kuwaki finished regulation play at five under par and held on through an extraordinary play-off that saw Henseleit’s chances destroyed by an unlucky bounce off a course marshal.
The victory is a landmark for Japanese golf. Kuwaki becomes the fourth Japanese winner of the championship and the 43rd different winner in 50 editions of the Women’s Open — a statistic that underlines how open and unpredictable the event remains.
How the Final Round Unfolded
For most of Sunday afternoon at the blustery Lancashire links, the question was whether anyone could catch the unfancied Yealimi Noh of the United States. Noh, the world number 69, had built a three-shot lead through 54 holes — the only player in the field who looked comfortable in the demanding conditions.
But links golf on the Lancashire coast has a habit of sweeping away ambitions, and Noh’s challenge unravelled on the back nine. She carded bogeys on the 12th and 14th holes after pushing a birdie chance past its target on the 12th, and finished a stroke outside the play-off at four under par.
In the group ahead, Kuwaki produced a composed one-under 70, finishing at five under and setting the clubhouse target. The only other player in the final eight groups to break par on the day was Henseleit, who had fought back from successive bogeys on the eighth and ninth with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 15th before a nervous miss on the 16th.
The 45-Foot Putt That Forced the Play-Off
With Kuwaki watching nervously from the clubhouse, Henseleit arrived at the 18th needing something special. The 27-year-old German delivered, rolling in a 45-foot birdie putt in front of a packed gallery to draw level at five under and force an extension to the championship.
“It was a great moment when that putt dropped in,” Henseleit said afterwards. “Very happy with how I gave myself the opportunity to win today and how I handled myself.”
Henseleit was attempting to become only the second German woman to win a major, following in the footsteps of Sophia Popov’s shock 2020 Open triumph — and she was also playing for a place in Europe’s Solheim Cup team, which she has since secured for September.
Play-Off Drama: The Marshal Ricochet
The first sudden-death hole was survived by both players with pars — though in distinctly different fashion. On the second trip down the 18th, the decisive moment arrived: Henseleit’s drive struck a course marshal and was redirected into a gorse bush, leaving her with no realistic route to par.
Unable to save par, Henseleit conceded the hole, and Kuwaki calmly rolled in a short putt for a four to secure the £1.11m winner’s cheque and the biggest title of her career — just 12 months after failing to make the cut at Royal Porthcawl.
“I just can’t believe it. To be on a stage like this is an honour and every hole I was just focused on shot by shot. I just tried to enjoy it as much as I could. It’s an amazing feeling to win again as a Japanese player. I hope as team Japan we can continue to light up the golf world.”
Shiho Kuwaki, AIG Women’s Open champion
Henseleit took the misfortune in her stride: “Just got a bit unlucky on the second play-off hole there.” It was a cruel end for a player who had produced the shot of the championship when it mattered most.
The Stars Who Couldn’t Catch the Leaders
Nelly Korda’s Grand Slam Bid Falls Short
World number one Nelly Korda arrived at Royal Lytham chasing a career grand slam — the missing piece in an extraordinary collection of major titles. A double-bogey six on the 18th in Saturday’s third round proved decisive: despite a three-under 68 on Sunday, she finished at two under, just out of reach, and her grand slam dream will have to wait another year.
Charley Hull Still Chasing a Maiden Major
England’s Charley Hull, 30, finished at one under after recovering from three early bogeys with birdies on the 15th and 16th. It was another near-miss in a career that already includes five runner-up finishes in majors — her search for a first major title continues.
Woad’s Promising Display
Fellow Englishwoman Lottie Woad, 22, also finished at one under. The young star, who was runner-up at the Evian Championship as an amateur just over a year ago, delivered another assured performance on the biggest stage, and her time at the top of the women’s game looks close.
Records and History at Royal Lytham
- Kuwaki is the fourth Japanese champion and the 43rd different winner in 50 editions of the Women’s Open
- Yealimi Noh is the first player to hold a three-shot lead after 54 holes and fail to win the championship
- Kuwaki’s previous five professional wins all came on her home tour — this is her first outside Japan
- Henseleit’s 45-foot putt was the shot that forced the play-off, but the marshal ricochet decided it
- Kuwaki was the only player in the final eight groups to break par on the final day alongside Henseleit
What It Means: The Road to the Solheim Cup
The Women’s Open was the final major of the European summer, and attention now turns to September’s Solheim Cup, where Henseleit will represent Europe and Noh is expected to feature for the United States after a performance that, while agonising, confirmed her arrival at the game’s highest level.
For Kuwaki, the win transforms her career. A player who had spent her career winning on the Japanese tour has now claimed the most prestigious prize in women’s golf on one of the game’s toughest links courses — and did it in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.
Final leaderboard (selected): -5 Kuwaki (Jap); E Henseleit (Ger); -4 Y Noh (US); -2 N Korda (US), J Thitikul (Tha); -1 C Hull (Eng), L Woad (Eng), H Ryu (Kor), R Takeda (Jap); E C Boutier (Fra), S Kouskova (Cze).