This Thursday, the AIG Women’s Open, the last Major of the season, kicks off. For the third time in women’s golf history, the Open will be held at the Old Course in Saint Andrews.
Lorena Ochoa won the first edition held on the legendary course in 2007, and Stacy Lewis had the honours in 2013. It’s been eleven years since the last time.
144 players are looking to join this group and seal their name forever next to the birthplace of golf. Lillia Vu, the defending champion, Nelly Korda, World Number One, Lydia Ko, Olympic gold in Paris, and Lauren Coughlin, last week’s winner at Dundonald Golf Links are just some of the big favourites to win.
Korda is looking for her third Major in Scotland, the second of the year and her seventh win of the season. It would be an idyllic end to a year that is already historic, but that could still be even better with a possible American victory in the Solheim. Her last three months have not been as brilliant, but Korda is undoubtedly always in the leading pack of favourites.
Six Spanish women will be part of the game in search of a historic feat. On the one hand, winning a Major, which is already a feat. Spanish golf has been resisting a Major in the women’s category and why not dream that this week the wall can be brought down. Being honest with the reader, it is a task that seems very difficult, but we have players with more than enough level to achieve it.
If they achieve it, it would also be a wonderful end, closing a perfect circle. Severiano Ballesteros won his second Claret Jug at Saint Andrews in the Open of 1984 and Miguel Ángel Jiménez lifted the champion’s trophy at the Senior Open Championship in 2018. A victory this week by a Spanish woman would not only be great for the fact of winning the first women’s Major in history, but doing so at Saint Andrews would be a spectacular nod from the golf gods and a more than perfect circle closure.
Leading the Armada is Carlota Ciganda. The Navarrese has been knocking on the door of her first Major for years and what better stage than the birthplace of golf to achieve it. The heroine of the Solheim Cup 2023 has eleven top tens in Majors, including four third places. This same year she finished sixth in the Chevron Championship. There is more than enough level, it’s time to square four magical rounds to achieve it. In addition, Ciganda knows what it’s like to play at Saint Andrews as she played the Open in 2013. She couldn’t make the cut, but experience always contributes.
Alongside Carlota is a more than notable squad: Nuria Iturrioz, Ana Peláez, Marta Martín, María Hernández and the world’s number two amateur, Julia López Ramírez.
The Mallorcan Iturrioz arrives at the Open with high spirits after her spectacular top ten in the Women’s Scottish Open. She enjoys the links and last week she played at a high level, especially with a scandalous third round. Ana Peláez, on the other hand, is among the top ten of the year in the Solheim Cup 2024 Points List. There is no doubt about the solidity of the Andalusian, although she has to prove in a big event that she can fight with the best.
The Madrid-born Marta Martín will play the second Major of her career in Scotland. At the Evian Championship she was already able to make the cut and is looking to accumulate experiences that will allow her to continue growing as a golfer. This year she already showed in Poland that she is capable of winning on the European circuit.
The veteran María Hernández returns to a Major nine years later. Thanks to her great year in the LET, ninth in the Order of Merit, the Navarrese player will play the eighth Major of her career and will try to surpass the T14 she achieved precisely in the Open back in 2010 at Royal Birkdale.
Last but not least, Julia López appears in the field. Despite her youth, the 21-year-old amateur is playing her second Open and will try to emulate, at least, last year’s result when she was able to make the cut. The Malaga-born player is ambitious and will go all out.
As a novelty this year, the tournament will be played from two tees. There will not be a single start from hole one. The reason is that the tournament is played a little later than usual due to the Olympic Games.
This Open will be the first without the presence of Laura Davies. Since 1980 she has played each of the tournament’s editions and for the first time she will watch it from the sidelines. When everything pointed to her playing at Saint Andrews, the four-time Major champion has decided to step aside and will experience the tournament as a commentator. Cathriona Matthew, 2009 Open champion, has announced that at 54, this will be her last year playing the tournament. It’s not bad at all to say goodbye at Saint Andrews.
