So many storylines had the potential to unfold during the 2026 AIG Women’s Open. A couple of them lived up to the hype: Haeran Ryu gave her third major in row a hearty attempt, leading the first two days but unable to bounce back from a tough third day. Yealimi Noh took control on Saturday, only to finish third and one back of a playoff that would determine a first-time major champion.
“Obviously it stings coming up one short and having a not great round, but I’m still very happy to have been in this position,” said Noh. “And coming down 18 in front of the big crowds and playing at The Open, it was really special. Reminded me why I love this game and why I’m here.”
Shiho Kuwaki and Esther Henseleit soared up the leaderboard to 5-under in the final round. In the second playoff hole, Kuwaki made a par to secure her title at just 23 years old.
Kuwaki isn’t a member of the LPGA Tour – she’s played on the JLPGA, or the Japan LPGA, for the last five years, racking up five wins along the way. This is her first LPGA Tour win and major championship.
Last year, Kuwaki didn’t make the cut at the AIG Women’s Open. This year, she has won it all, including $1.5 million, an opportunity for LPGA Tour membership and a potential 650 Race to the CME points if she accepted the membership for this year. She has deferred her LPGA Tour membership to 2027 so she can play the entire season.
Kuwaki is also the first non-member to win the AIG Women’s Open since Sophia Popov in 2020 and the first non-member to win a major championship since Yuki Saso’s 2021 victory at the U.S. Women’s Open. She is the third Japanese player to win this major, with Miyu Yamashita winning last year and Hinako Shibuno winning in 2019.
“Yeah, after last year, Yamashita’s win, and to be able to win again as a Japanese player is such an amazing feeling, and I hope as part of Team Japan we can continue to light up the golf world and hope everyone enjoys it as well,” she said.
2024 silver medalist Henseleit also shared her mentality from the last few days, saying, “Yeah, going into Friday, the first point was kind of making it to the weekend. I didn’t have a great first day and then just played really solid; managed to make some putts. And, yeah, I didn’t think when I finished yesterday that I was going to be in the final group either, so, yeah, just kind of taking it as it comes. Today was fun. Of course, there is like a couple shots I maybe could have done better and if I could have them back, sure, I would take it. But, yeah, I tried my best on every shot and maybe next time.”
Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul both finished T4, the latter’s best finish in a major, and Charley Hull, Haeran Ryu and Lottie Woad were among six players to finish T6. Stanford’s Paula Martin Sampedro earned low amateur honors – called the Smyth Salver – for the second time in a row, only the fifth to do so and first since Thitikul in 2018-2019. She finished T29 at 4-over for the week.
The LPGA Tour will take a week off before returning stateside for The Standard Portland Classic, where Japan’s Akie Iwai will have an opportunity to defend her title.
