Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki won the 2026 AIG Women’s Open by defeating Esther Henseleit in a two-hole playoff, securing the first major championship of her career. The two players finished 72 holes at five under par at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Kuwaki made par on the second extra hole while Henseleit recorded a bogey, giving the Japanese golfer the title.
How the final round reached a playoff
Kuwaki began the final day behind the overnight leader but closed with a one-under-par 70. According to the tournament’s official report, she made par on each of her final five regulation holes and set the clubhouse target at five under. Henseleit then made birdie on the 18th hole to match that total and extend the championship. The playoff format required the players to return to the 18th until they could be separated.
Both players made par on the first extra hole. On their second visit, Henseleit’s tee shot went into trouble on the right side and the German finished the hole with a bogey. Kuwaki reached the green in two shots and converted her par putt to win. Reuters and the official tournament report independently identify the second playoff hole as the decisive moment.
A first major and LPGA Tour title
The victory was both Kuwaki’s first major championship and her first LPGA Tour title. The 23-year-old was making only her second appearance in the AIG Women’s Open, according to the event’s official account. She opened the week with a 66 and followed it with rounds of 70, 73 and 70. She completed four rounds at five under par, the score that took her into the championship playoff.
Official tournament data showed Kuwaki leading the field in greens in regulation at 81 percent. The event report also recorded three birdies in her final round and par on each of her last five regulation holes. Those details explain how she assembled her one-under Sunday score. The statistics in this article are limited to the organizer’s published championship review.
The official review also recorded a different leader after each round. Jeeno Thitikul set the early pace, Haeran Ryu led at halfway and Yealimi Noh held the 54-hole advantage. Noh began Sunday three strokes clear but made consecutive bogeys on the front nine. She returned to a share of the lead with a birdie at the 13th before dropping another shot at the 14th. That sequence narrowed the contest and left Kuwaki’s clubhouse total within reach of Henseleit.
Henseleit second and Noh third
Henseleit finished runner-up after reaching the playoff with her birdie on the final regulation hole. American Yealimi Noh, who held the overnight lead, ended the championship alone in third at four under and missed the playoff by one stroke. Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul shared fourth place at two under. The official report said only 11 players completed the week with an under-par total.
The championship’s 50th edition
Royal Lytham & St Annes hosted the 50th edition of the AIG Women’s Open. Kuwaki became the fourth Japanese winner of the event, following Ayaka Okamoto, Hinako Shibuno and 2025 champion Miyu Yamashita. That sequence is recorded in the championship’s official historical summary.
The result means Kuwaki is scheduled to arrive at Royal St George’s for the 2027 edition as defending champion. Further details about that championship will be released by the organizers later. This article is limited to confirmed results and tournament records published by the LPGA and the AIG Women’s Open on August 2, together with Reuters’ independent report from the same date.
