AIG Women’s Open – Key stories to follow: Nellie Korda, Charlie Hull, Solheim Cup watch and British hopes of winning big | golf news

Storylines ahead of the 50th anniversary of the AIG Women’s Open, live on Sky Sports, with Nellie Korda and Charlie Hull eyeing big wins at Royal Lytham and St Annes…

Can Korda and Ryu make even bigger history?

The season in the women’s major was dominated by two players, Nelly Korda and Heran Ryu both now have a chance to equal the most wins in a calendar year.

Korda claimed the Chevron Championship and the US Women’s Open before Riou won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Evian Championship, the first time two players have registered multiple majors in the same season.

Only six players in history – across the men’s and women’s games – have won three majors in one year, with Korda and Ryu looking to enjoy an exclusive club with AIG Women’s Open victories.

Ben Hogan (1953) and Tiger Woods (2000) are the only men to have managed it, while Inby Park won the first three majors in 2013 to match the years of Babe Zaharias (195), Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986).

Korda and Ryu are the only ones in the running for the Rolex Anika Major Award, handed out to the LPGA Tour player with the best major record in a season. It may take one more big win to decide who wins that title.

Will Korda close out the Grand Slam glory?

Arguably the biggest surprise of the Evian Championship was Corder’s missed cut, as the pre-tournament favorite was already a four-time winner this season and expected to challenge for the big win.

Korda’s early exit in France snapped a 34-tournament cut and extended her pursuit of a career Grand Slam, claiming her third different major title with the US Women’s Open earlier this season.

Players who have won four of the five women’s majors are recognized as having completed a career grand slam because of how major tournaments have changed, giving Korda a new opportunity this week.

Korda finished tied-second behind Lydia Ko at St Andrews 2024 but will be looking to go one better in Lancashire, where victory would see her become the first in the women’s game since Parks to join the Grand Slam club.

She finished 16th at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open but remains the player to watch this week, where a 20th LPGA Tour title and fifth major win would secure the two points she needs to secure her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Can Yamashita go for back-to-back Women’s Opens?

It has been 15 years since Yanni Tseng became the last player to win by four strokes at Carnoustie a year later at Royal Birkdale in 2010, but Miu Yamashita has a great chance to end that streak.

Yamashita is a 13-time winner of the LPGA on the Japan Tour but was somewhat of an unknown to British audiences before last year’s big breakthrough, when he held off Charlie Hull for a two-shot victory at Royal Porthcawl.

The Japanese player’s game went from strength to strength as he added to his LPGA Tour success at the Maybank Championship later that year before defeating Lottie Wade in a playoff to win the Major LPGA Classic in June.

The win was one of four top fives in his last six global starts, including a fourth at the Evian Championship and a fifth place in Scotland last week. Defending the title will take a tough form!

Will the Brits enjoy a major three-peat at Lytham?

It has been 30 years since Dame Laura Davies claimed the last of her four major titles, enjoying half the British female major glory since she managed it at this week’s venue.

Alison Nicholls won the US Women’s Open in 1997 and Karen Stupples won the AIG Women’s Open in 2004, with the last two editions of the event held at Royal Lytham and St Annes producing British champions.

Catriona Matthews became Scotland’s first female major champion with her victory here in 2009, just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter, then Georgia Hall claimed a two-shot victory in her 2018 edition.

Hull leads home hopes of chasing her breakthrough major title this year, having been runner-up in a major twice in three years at the tournament, while Wade is hoping for top-10 finishes in her two previous AIG Women’s Open appearances.

More than 50,000 fans are expected throughout tournament week, the vast majority hoping to see another British champion.

Who can make a late Solheim Cup push for Team Europe?

The race to qualify for Team Europe’s Solheim Cup squad reached its final stage this week, giving players one last chance to try and force their way into Anna Nordqvist’s plans.

Despite her impressive form in recent starts on the LPGA Tour, Nordqvist confirmed she will not be playing captain, with the Swede seeing off her eight automatic qualifiers this weekend before naming her four seeds next week.

Chiara Tamburlini briefly sits second on the LET points list behind Helen Briem, Agathe Laisne and Cara Gainer, with one of that rookie quartet likely to join Charlie Hull in qualifying through that method.

Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Celine Boutier, Carlota Ciganda, Linn Grant and Esther Henseleit currently occupy the six places on offer through the world rankings, while Leona Maguire impressed in Scotland last week as she bids for a Team Europe comeback.

Other European players in the world’s top 100 include Nanna Korstz Madsen, Dutchwoman Dewey Weber and England’s Mimi Rhodes – could a big week put them in Solheim Cup consideration?

Beaten on American soil in 2024, Nordqvist will likely have a different look. Nordqvist previously said there are ‘tough phone calls ahead’ and several players will be looking to make those decisions tougher this week.

When is the AIG Women’s Open on Sky Sports?

Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the AIG Women’s Open in the UK and Ireland, featuring group coverage for the first time and six more hours of live action than ever before on Sky Sports.

Featured group coverage on Sky Sports Golf starts at 9am on Thursday and Friday, before full coverage starts at 1pm, with live coverage of rounds three and four then starting at midday on weekends.

Who will win the AIG Women’s Open? Watch live all week on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or Golf and more with no contract.