Nelly Korda, Ryu Hae-ran lead British Women’s Open field after sharing Major spoils
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Nelly Korda in the second round of the Evian Championship at Evian-Les-Bains, on July 10, when she suffered her first missed cut in 35 events.
PHOTO: AFP
- Nelly Korda and Ryu Hae-ran lead the British Women’s Open race after each winning two of the first four Majors in 2026, aiming to equal the record for most Major wins in a year.
- The tournament at Royal Lytham & St Annes features strong contenders including England’s Charley Hull and Lottie Woad, and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, all seeking their first or defending titles.
- Korda has bounced back from a quiet 2025 with dominant wins, while Hull aims to win her home Major after many attempts, and Woad hopes to become the first British winner since 2018.
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LONDON – The 50th Women’s British Open is teed up as a decider between American Nelly Korda and South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran after they shared the silverware from the first four Majors in 2026, but plenty of other players will be seeking to end the duopoly at a parched Royal Lytham & St Annes this week.
World No. 1 Korda won the Chevron Championship and the US Open to double her Major haul before Ryu won the PGA Championship and became the first golfer to shoot 60 at a Major to claim the Evian title earlier in July.
If either wins on the Lancashire coast, they would equal the record for most Major wins in a calendar year.
A fast and furious Lytham links may well open the field, though, and English duo Charley Hull and Lottie Woad will be expected to go close as they both seek their first Majors while Japan’s Miyu Yamashita will be determined to retain her title.
All eyes will be on Korda, though, as she seeks to land the Major that has often proved problematic for her.
The 28-year-old had a relatively disappointing 2025 with no titles but has hit back in stunning fashion with one of the most dominant seasons in recent history.
She romped to victory at the Chevron to return to the top of the rankings and won the Riviera Maya Open to become the first player since Annika Sorenstam in 2001 to start a season with top-two finishes in her first six events.
Major wins
Korda became the first American since Pat Bradley in 1986 to win the year’s first two Majors by triumphing in thrilling fashion at the US Open – watching a three-foot winning putt circle the hole on the 18th at Riviera before dropping.
She missed the cut at the Evian though – her first missed cut in 35 events – before tying for 16th at the Scottish Open.
Korda’s best finish at the Open was at St Andrews in 2024 when she tied for second behind Lydia Ko.
Ryu, 25, will be making only her fourth appearance in the Women's Open but England’s Hull will be making her 15th attempt to land her home Major.
There has been a lot of pain down the years for the 30-year-old with missed cuts and disappointing finishes but she was runner-up in 2023 and tied for second last year and home fans will hope that her time has finally arrived.
Woad, 22, arrived at Royal Porthcawl last year as favourite despite it being her first Major since turning professional but finished a disappointing 49th.
A full year out on the Tour means she will arrive battle-hardened as she tries to become the first home winner since Georgia Hall at Lytham in 2018.
“I think for any British player this would be the dream one to win,” she said on July 28. “I like playing links golf and I’m sure it’ll be a good test with the wind.
“I enjoy playing this type of golf. I think because you only get to play it a couple times a year it makes it a bit more special to kind of hit those different shots.”
It is the sixth time Lytham has hosted the Women’s Open. REUTERS
