10 Players to Watch at The AIG Women's Open 2025

The final major championship of the year is set to get underway on Thursday at the magnificent Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, as the world's best players gather in Wales for the first time to compete in the 49th edition of the AIG Women's Open.

Last year, it was Lydia Ko who triumphed on a dramatic Sunday at St Andrews, but attention is firmly placed on English sensation Lottie Woad, who has put together a remarkable July to close out a successful amateur career and usher in a professional tenure that promises much gold.

However, it's not all about the 21-year-old, recent winner of both the Irish and Scottish opens, as the list of contenders is plentiful, while the potential storylines that could unfold in South Wales are fascinating.

We take a closer look at just some of the players that we are following during the coming days.

Lottie Woad

She's not the only story this week, but she's undoubtedly become the biggest. It's been a whirlwind month for the Farnham Golf Club member, who strolled to victory in the Irish Open while still an amateur, before coming agonisingly close to lifting a major title at the Evian Championship. 

Turning professional, the former Augusta National Women's Amateur champion then secured the Scottish Open at Dundonald Links last weekend, establishing herself as the betting favourite in Wales.

Jeeno Thitikul

Edging closer to reclaiming the world number one ranking, it's easy to forget that Thitikul is still just 22, but despite her many triumphs in a fine career to date, a major championship has thus far proven elusive. She looked set to change that status at the Evian, where she missed a putt to win before falling to an inspired Grace Kim in a playoff, so there will be a determination to become a major winner this week. Her best finish at the Women's Open came at Muirfield in 2022.

Nelly Korda

Amazing the world of golf with her form last year, it's been a far quieter season for the American, who is yet to win on the LPGA Tour in 2025. There is no better time to alter that than this week, especially given that she's back at the Women's Open, which she arguably should have won last August in St Andrews, having dropped three shots in the last five holes to lose to Lydia Ko by two.

Minjee Lee

The Australian may not have seemed like a likely winner back in June at the Women's PGA Championship, but that is exactly what the 29-year-old accomplished, securing the third major title in what has been a wonderful career. Having also contended at the Evian, Lee appears to have the modern career Grand Slam in mind, and a success in Wales would take her another step closer to that special milestone.

Lydia Ko

If Rory McIlroy's near 11-year wait for another major title seemed baffling, the eight-year drought of Lydia Ko wasn't far behind it, but the New Zealander emphatically ended that with a battling performance to lift the Women's Open title at the Old Course.

The compelling 28-year-old hasn't threatened to add to her major tally in 2025, but she did win on the LPGA Tour earlier in the season and perhaps her newfound confidence with links golf will translate to further glory at Royal Porthcawl.

Charley Hull

For a decade, Hull has seemed like England's best hope for a major champion, but she was usurped to that status by Georgia Hall in 2018, and with the spotlight on Lottie Woad, the 29-year-old from Kettering is perhaps entering this week somewhat under the radar. 

It's not been a sparkling campaign for Hull, and there was the health scare during the Evian Championship, but she remains more than capable of contending in Wales.

Jiyai Shin

Last year at St Andrews, the two-time champion, winner back in 2008 and 2012, smiled her way into contention at the Home of Golf, loving every minute of the experience, and there seems little reason why she can't replicate that again this week.

Given that she doesn't play on the LPGA Tour, the Korean veteran is perhaps overlooked, but she remains one of the most prolific winners in the game of golf and won't shy away should a title be within her grasp.

Lilia Vu

It was just a couple of years ago that the American was a two-time reigning major champion and had the world at her feet, but injuries struck and it has been a mixed story since, but she did win on the LPGA Tour last summer before coming admirably close to successfully defending her Women's Open title at the Old Course.

Recently, it has been a real struggle for Vu, but this could be the environment to reignite that unquestioned ability she possesses.

Leona Maguire

The Irish star has become a Solheim Cup stalwart and is undeniably a formidable competitor, but she is yet to fully deploy that potential into major championships. She was fourth at Muirfield back in 2022 and recently showed encouraging form at the Evian, but the 30-year-old is yet to find herself in the closing holes with a chance of winning one of the big titles. Maybe that changes at Porthcawl.

Georgia Hall 

Winner seven years ago at Royal Lytham, Hall's form in recent times has declined to such an extent that she didn't qualify for the US Women's Open and Evian Championship this summer. However, the 29-year-old always plays solidly in the Women's Open, and having recently announced her engagement to former DP World Tour player Paul Dunne, life is going pretty well off the golf course, so who is to say that can't replicate itself within the competitive arena?

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