Golf
2026 AIG Women’s Open Predictions
With all four of the men’s majors out of the way, attentions turn to the Women’s Open and William Hill News is on hand to provide predictions ahead of this week’s action.
Royal Lytham & St Annes plays host for the sixth time in Women’s Open history and last held the tournament in 2018 when Georgia Hall became the first English woman to win the tournament since 2004.
The home crowd will be hoping for a similar heroin story this year, with many English golfers in with a strong chance.
Tournament overview
Royal Lytham & St Annes is a typical links course based in Lancashire, England. A par-70 measuring just over 7,000 yards, it is a gruelling test made even harder by the 174 bunkers littering the course.
The English faithful will have to hope for some of the market principles to fall by the wayside if their compatriots are to prevail, with Nelly Korda the clear favourite at 7/1. All golfers below 20/1 in the betting come from oversees, including Miyu Yamashita, Haeran Ryu, Jeeno Thitikul and Ruoning Yin.
Charley Hull 25/1
The first of our selections this week would no doubt be a popular winner. Fans’ favourite Charley Hull heads to Lancashire still seeking her first Major triumph after four heartbreaking runner-up finishes and nine professional victories elsewhere.
Despite having never lifted the trophy, you can hardly say Hull hasn’t excelled at the Women’s Open in recent years. Her 2023 second wasn’t quite as agonising as Lilia Vu shot the lights out to win by six strokes, but memories of 2025 will still be fresh.
Hull stormed into contention over the weekend at Royal Porthcawl last year to finish nine-under-par, but couldn’t quite match the performance of Miyu Yamashita, who eventually finished two shots clear.
Hull’s last Major appearance this season saw her finish runner-up once again, this time at the US Open, as she was just one shot back from Nelly Korda at Riviera Golf Course. She’ll be hoping to flip the script hear and win her first major in front of a home crowd.
Lottie Woad 22/1
We continue the strong English theme with Lottie Woad as the second selection. The rising English star shot to fame when winning the Women’s Irish Open in July 2025 while still an amateur, which she followed up by winning her first tournament as a professional at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open.
She has been in equally fine form this year, with one victory, five T-10 finishes and 13 cuts made from her 15 starts on the LPGA Tour this season. She also ranks fourth on the tour for Greens in Regulation Percentage, which will be a crucial stat on a course where greens are guarded by a whole host of danger.
If Woad can tidy things up a bit off the tee, then she’ll be right in the mix for a first Major title of her career.
