This Week in Golf: Spotlight on Lottie Woad and cash-rich AIG Women's Open in Wales
So far in the 2025 season, the Major winners have been Mao Saigo (Japan) at the Chevron Championship, Maja Stark (Sweden) at the U.S. Women's Open, Minjee Lee (Australia) at the Women's PGA Championship, and Grace Kim (Australia) at The Amundi Evian Championship.
It is the first time since 2020, a season shortened by COVID-19, that no American player has won a Major, raising a question for the future: should another Major be staged outside of the United States, alongside The Amundi Evian Championship in France? South Korea's ongoing prominence in women's golf may deserve greater recognition. We'll explore that topic in more depth next week.
This week's AIG Women's Open carries a $9.5 million purse, making it the third-highest in women's golf behind the $10.4 million KPMG Women's PGA Championship and the $12 million U.S. Women's Open presented by Ally.
Major Status Since 2001
The tournament was first played in 1976 and was designated a Major in 2001. Since the 2017 merger between the Ladies Golf Union and The R&A, both the Men's and Women's Open Championships have been operated by The R&A. Lydia Ko of New Zealand returns as the defending champion, having claimed the title at St Andrews last year over the Old Course.
Hopes are high for favourable weather, which has thus far been relatively kind to golf across Europe this summer.
This week, much of the attention will be on 21-year-old English sensation Lottie Woad. Playing in her first professional event last week, the ISPS Handa Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, Woad claimed a three-shot victory. Her previous three starts have yielded a win, a third-place tie, and another win.
She began the year ranked 337th in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. At the start of last week, she had moved to 62nd, and following her victory, she now sits 24th.
Her rapid ascent is further reflected in her statistics: 16th in the LET Order of Merit, fourth in the 2025 Rookie of the Year standings, and 14th in the 2026 Solheim Cup Rankings for Team Europe. Her earnings now total over $255,000, placing her sixth on the LET Money List—a remarkable return from just one week as a professional.
Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour, this week marks the final opportunity for players to qualify for the FedEx Cup Series. Following this week's Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina, the top 70 players will advance to the FedEx St. Jude Classic, then the top 50 to the BMW Championship, and finally the top 30 to the season-ending Tour Championship.
Season Ends Too Soon
The PGA Tour season officially concludes on August 24. For many golf fans, this feels prematurely early for a sport with global reach. With the Ryder Cup still to come, some are calling for a rethink—perhaps even a return of the PGA Championship to its traditional August slot.
Elsewhere in the game, the HotelPlanner Tour—formerly the Challenge Tour—heads to Scotland for the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A, held at SCHLOSS Roxburghe. The Legends Tour also returns to action with the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen.
As the summer of golf rolls on, all eyes this week are on South Wales—and on Lottie Woad—as the game's biggest names compete for Major glory.
This week's golf schedule
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