Kuwaki Wins AIG Women's Open in Playoff
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- Shiho Kuwaki won the 50th AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, beating Esther Henseleit in a two-hole playoff after both finished regulation at five under par.
- Henseleit forced the playoff with a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th green, then saw her tee shot on the second playoff hole strike a marshal on the arm before bouncing into a bush.
- Kuwaki earned a $1.5m (£1.11m) cheque and became the first non-member on the LPGA Tour to win the AIG Women's Open since Sophia Popov in 2020, earning an LPGA Tour membership offer.
- Noh finished third at four under despite briefly holding a four-shot lead during the final round.
- Henseleit's playoff runner-up finish cost Tamburlini her automatic Solheim Cup qualifying spot, which Henseleit now holds.
- Charley Hull and Lottie Woad both finished tied-sixth at one under, with Sky Sports' Dame Laura Davies calling it a "missed opportunity" since the winning score was only five under.
- Kuwaki, who plays with a yellow ball and plies her trade on the LPGA Tour of Japan, turned professional five years ago and was previously gifted 2kg of Okayama Wagyu beef and 120kg of rice by a local agricultural company for her three 2024 victories.
Why it matters: Kuwaki's win breaks a six-year streak of LPGA Tour members winning the Women's Open and delivers a $1.5m payday to a non-member who plays exclusively on Japan's domestic tour, while Henseleit's playoff heartbreak directly reshuffles the European Solheim Cup roster by displacing Tamburlini.
