The world’s finest gamers are at St Andrews for the AIG Girls’s Open, however who can be topped champion on the enduring Outdated Course and win the ultimate main of the 12 months?
Ayaka Furue claimed a maiden main title on the Amundi Evian Championship and is among the many pre-tournament favourites to impress once more, having additionally had earlier success on hyperlinks golf on the 2022 ISPS Handa Girls’s Scottish Open.
Nelly Korda gained the Chevron Championship as a part of a run of six LPGA Tour titles in seven occasions this 12 months, with world No 1 enjoying alongside fellow American Lilia Vu – the defending champion and trying to grow to be the primary back-to-back winner since 2011 – over the primary two rounds.
US Girls’s Open champion Yuka Saso and KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship winner Amy Yang will each be bidding for a second win of the season, whereas former world No 1 Lydia Ko arrives off the again of profitable Olympic gold and a powerful efficiency in Scotland final week.
The sturdy winds forecast in Scotland might increase the hopes of Georgia Corridor, who gained the occasion in 2018, with Charley Hull trying to go one higher than final 12 months’s runner-up end and declare an elusive maiden main title.
Lauren Coughlin gained the Girls’s Scottish Open final week and is now chasing a 3rd win in 4 begins, having already booked her Solheim Cup spot, with Australia’s Hannah Inexperienced additionally one other a number of winner on the LPGA Tour season.
Miyu Yamashita is a six time runner-up worldwide this 12 months and Haeran Ryu has completed no worse than thirteenth in her final 5 begins, whereas loads of gamers can be trying to impress to safe their qualification into subsequent month’s Solheim Cup.
Who will win the AIG Girls’s Open?
Might we get a back-to-back main champion? A breakthrough title for somebody? Earlier than you solid your vote and predict a winner from the choices beneath, learn who the Sky Sports activities Golf workforce concerned in protection this week assume will declare the ultimate main of 2024…
Dame Laura Davies: “I would have said Nelly Korda a couple of months ago because she’s winning everything, but now definitely not. There’s so many really good players playing well at the moment.
“It may be actually windy, so you are going to want a participant that performs rather well within the wind. An excellent shout may very well be Ally Ewing, who’s an excellent participant and controls her ball flight very nicely. She’s had an excellent 12 months and had a few top-fives in majors already this 12 months.”
Trish Johnson: “Ayaka Furue has had a stunning year so far, with nine top-10s in 17 tournaments. She finished third last week and loves a bit of Scottish golf, so will need all that knowhow!
“She has received unimaginable ball management, she putts amazingly and he or she has received all the pieces to win round right here. She gained on the Evian Championship, after knocking on the door so many instances, and I feel the situations may actually play into her fingers this week.”
Richard Kaufman: “Nobody has won back-to-back women’s majors for 11 years, the last time we were at St Andrews, but Ayaka Furue could be a player who will be close to the lead if she doesn’t win. She is nearly always in the top 10 and I don’t think she necessarily gets the credit that she deserves.”
Inci Mehmet: “Lydia Ko won Olympic gold in Paris and showed some great signs last week at the Women’s Scottish Open. She has had the links warm-up prep she wanted and probably needed, so she’s going to be hungry, knows the golf course well and is my pick this week.”
Iona Stephen: “Georgia Hall loves links golf, loves St Andrews and knows how to get it done under pressure, when it matters the most. I think this tough, possibly brutal, weather is going to play into her favour.”
Sophie Walker: “Lilia Vu is a drawer of the ball – which is ideal around St Andrews – and is in form at the moment. The opportunity of going back-to-back is the only thing that makes me question it, but she played nicely last week.
“She’s an honest lag putter, has a useful brief sport and spoke final week about taking up regardless of the climate throws at her. She appears actually content material and injury-free proper now.”
Watch all four rounds of the AIG Women’s Open live this week on Sky Sports! Coverage of the opening round begins Thursday at midday on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the ladies’s majors and extra sport with NOW.