Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki secured her first major title at the season’s final major, the AIG Women’s Open, thanks to a two-hole playoff victory over Germany’s Esther Henseleit.
The 23-year-old entered Sunday’s final round at Royal Lytham & St Annes tied for second, three shots adrift of American Yealimi Noh. Noh extended her lead early with a birdie at the 2nd, but Kuwaki made birdie at the same hole to keep within contention. Back-to-back bogeys at the 4th and 5th threatened to derail her charge, but Noh was unable to capitalize on that, carding bogeys at the 4th, 7th and 8th. As they made the turn, Kuwaki birdied the 9th to move just one stroke off the lead.
Noh dropped her fourth shot of the round at the 12th, allowing Kuwaki to draw level as her sizable overnight advantage finally disappeared. They both birdied the next hole, but it was Noh’s bogey at the 14th that ultimately proved decisive. They parred the rest of the way, leaving Kuwaki to post the clubhouse target at 5-under.
But playing a few groups behind, Henseleit, who had also started the day tied for second with Kuwaki, mounted a late charge to stay in the hunt. After three front-nine bogeys sent her tumbling down the leaderboard, the German responded with four birdies on the back nine, including one from 45 feet at the 18th, to force a playoff. The pair returned to the 18th and both parred the first extra hole. The second looked to go in Henseleit’s favor as Kuwaki’s tee shot went astray. But Henseleit missed her 10-foot birdie putt and made bogey, allowing Kuwaki to salvage an unlikely par and seal a first major victory.
“I just can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it! Just to be on a stage like this is just an honour and every hole I was focused on shot by shot and I just tried to enjoy it out there as much as I could,” said Kuwaki, speaking through an interpreter.
She became the second straight Japanese winner of the AIG Women’s Open, following compatriot Miyu Yamashita’s victory in 2025.
“After last year, Yamashita’s win, and to be able to win again as a Japanese player is such an amazing feeling,” Kuwaki went on. “I hope as part of Team Japan we can continue to light up the golf world and hope everyone enjoys it as well.”
While Noh finished in third at 4 under, world No. 1 Nelly Korda and world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul tied for fourth at 2 under to round off the top of the leaderboard. The top-5 finish was also enough for Korda to clinch the 2026 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, earning 14 points to best South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, who was the only other player to claim two major victories in 2026. Korda is now the second player to win the award twice, joining Minjee Lee (2022, 2025).
What is the next event?
The next event on the LPGA Tour schedule is The Standard Portland Classic taking place between 13-16 August at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Oregon.