Staff WriterThe AIG Women’s Open will celebrate its 50th anniversary at Royal Lytham & St Annes this summer with a prize fund of US$10 million, extended live broadcast coverage, and the sort of momentum that makes women’s golf look less like it is knocking politely at the door and more like it has brought its own key.
Taking place from 29 July to 2 August, the Championship returns to one of England’s great links stages with The R&A and American International Group confirming another significant rise in prize money.
For a Championship that began in 1976 with a total purse of £500, this is not so much growth as a full-scale transformation.
A $10m Statement For Women’s Golf
The new US$10 million prize fund marks the sixth consecutive year that the AIG Women’s Open purse has increased.
Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, said: “This is the sixth consecutive year that the AIG Women’s Open prize fund has been increased,” said Mark Darbon. “These consistent and sustainable investments in the prize fund clearly demonstrate The R&A and AIG’s commitment to elevating the Championship on the global stage.”
That phrase, “sustainable investments”, matters. Prize money in women’s sport has too often been treated like a goodwill gesture rather than a competitive necessity. Here, the message is sharper: the AIG Women’s Open is being positioned as a global sporting property, not simply a major championship with a good logo and a better intentions department.
From £500 To US$10 Million
The numbers tell the story with more bite than any boardroom slogan could manage.
Jenny Lee Smith won the inaugural title in 1976 when the total prize fund stood at £500. By 2008, when the Championship was last held at Sunningdale, Jiyai Shin claimed the winner’s share from a US$2.1 million purse.
Sunningdale has now been announced as the 2028 AIG Women’s Open venue, which gives the Championship’s history a neat little loop — like a well-struck draw finding the fairway after flirting with trouble.
Then came Georgia Hall’s win at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2018, when the total prize fund was US$3.25 million. That was the year before The R&A and AIG partnership began. Since then, the purse has more than trebled.
In plain English: this Championship is no longer inching forward. It is walking down the fairway with purpose.
Royal Lytham Gets A Bigger Stage
Royal Lytham & St Annes has never been a venue that hands out compliments cheaply. It is stern, strategic, and occasionally about as forgiving as a tax inspector with a three-putt.
That makes it an ideal setting for the 50th anniversary edition of the AIG Women’s Open. The Lancashire links has already witnessed major championship theatre, and this summer it gets another cast of the world’s finest players trying to solve its bunkers, breezes and maddening little questions.
For the players, the increased purse adds weight. For the Championship, Royal Lytham adds gravitas. For everyone watching, it should make for a week of proper, nerve-shredding golf.
Broadcast Coverage Expands To 34 Hours
The prize fund is only half the story. The 2026 AIG Women’s Open will also receive a major broadcast boost, with up to 34 hours of coverage across four days.
Rounds one and two will feature a new early broadcast window from 9am to 1pm BST, covering the morning marquee groups. Full main coverage will then run from 1 pm to 7 pm BST.
On Saturday and Sunday, fans will be able to watch seven hours of live coverage each day, from 12 pm to 7 pm BST.
That means the AIG Women’s Open will deliver more linear television broadcast hours in the UK and US than any other women’s golf championship.
In the UK, coverage will be shown live and in full on Sky Sports and R&A TV. In the United States, fans can watch on Golf Channel, USA Network and NBC. International coverage includes JTBC in South Korea, JGN and U-Next in Japan, and VGolf across Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway.
A Wider Window For The Women’s Game
Peter Zaffino, Chairman & CEO, AIG, said, “The AIG Women’s Open reflects our commitment to advancing women in business, sports and society, which is core to AIG’s values. In partnership with The R&A, we are making important strides in elevating the women’s game by continuing to increase the Championship purse and extending live broadcast coverage that will reach an even wider global audience of fans.”
That wider audience is crucial. Golf does not grow simply because prize funds rise, although that certainly helps. It grows when people can actually see the drama unfold.
For years, women’s golf has had the talent, storylines and competitive depth. What it has not always had is the same broadcast oxygen. This expanded coverage gives the AIG Women’s Open a stronger platform and gives fans fewer excuses to miss the good stuff.
Setting A New Benchmark
Darbon added, “Elevating all aspects of the AIG Women’s Open is key to our continued success as we build on the foundation of the past 49 years. Building the profile of women’s golf remains central to our ambition to establish the Championship as one of the world’s leading women’s sporting events.
“Our broadcast coverage is fundamental to that ambition and with a with a 20% increase in live hours compared to 2025, we are setting a new benchmark for women’s golf.
The AIG Women’s Open now delivers more linear television broadcast hours in the UK and US than any other women’s golf championship, giving fans unprecedented access to the very best players in the world. This is another important step forward as we continue to invest in the Championship and grow its global audience.”
The 20% increase in live hours compared to 2025 is not a cosmetic tweak. It changes the rhythm of the event for viewers, especially during the opening rounds, when major championships often hide their early plot twists in plain sight.
Now, those morning groups get their share of the spotlight. Quite right too. Majors are not only won late on Sunday. They are also lost at 9.43 am on Thursday when someone finds a bunker the size of a small council district.
Tickets, Families And Hospitality
Fans are being encouraged to experience the AIG Women’s Open in person at Royal Lytham & St Annes, with tickets available through aigwomensopen.com.
The R&A’s “Kids Go Free” initiative means children under 16 can attend free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult. Youth tickets for ages 16–24 are available at half price.
Premium hospitality packages are also available, offering elevated viewing experiences alongside more than ten hours of world-class golf each day.
That matters because major championship golf is not just about the leaderboard. It is about the sound of a flushed iron, the shuffle around a green, the collective intake of breath when a putt refuses to break, and the quiet certainty that somebody, somewhere, is about to make a complete nonsense of a sensible strategy.
Why This Matters
The 2026 AIG Women’s Open arrives at a useful moment for women’s golf. The sport has stars, depth, international reach and a growing audience. What it needs now is consistency: consistent investment, consistent visibility and consistent belief that the product is strong enough to stand on its own.
A US$10 million purse and expanded broadcast coverage do not solve everything, but they do make a loud and necessary statement.
At Royal Lytham & St Annes this summer, the AIG Women’s Open will not just mark 50 years of history. It will offer a glimpse of where the Championship is heading next — bigger, sharper, more visible, and finally getting the room on the stage it has long deserved.
