Lydia Ko triumphs

Everything Lydia Ko touches turns to gold.

The New Zealander was calmness personified as she cut through the field on her way to glory at St Andrews.

Four under-par rounds ensured the Olympic champion was always in contention at the AIG Women’s Open, but she let world number one Nelly Korda, defending Champion Lilia Vu and a resurgent two-time winner Jiyai Shin grab the headlines as she waited patiently in the wings.

And when her opportunity arrived, she was ready.

A round of 70 sandwiched in between two 71s had left Ko three strokes off the lead at the start of play on Sunday. Birdies at 4, 10 and 14 pulled her into the heat of battle alongside Korda, Vu and Shin. A dropped shot on 15 temporarily halted her momentum, but a nerveless birdie putt on 18 gave her a one-stroke lead when it mattered most.

Korda stumbled in behind and Vu, who won so magnificently at Walton Heath 12 months ago, was unable to pick up a birdie on either of the final two holes that would have ensured a play-off.

This is the story of the 2024 AIG Women's Open.

Round One

Ruoning Yin, the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Champion, performed magnificently to defy the strong crosswinds and claim Thursday’s early lead, on four-under par. It was a lead she would hold for almost nine hours.

However, all eyes were on the blockbuster group of Vu, Korda and 2023 runner-up Charley Hull – and the star trio did not disappoint.

Vu set the tone with a monster birdie putt on the 1st.

It was the first standout moment in what turned out to be the most entertaining 18-hole grouping of the week. Vu, Hull and Korda put on an exhibition of links golf, trading blow for blow around the fabled Old Course.

And, as the wind died down in the afternoon, it was Hull who ended day one atop the leaderboard after finding six birdies, including one on the 18th.

Korda birdied three of the final five holes to move into second alongside Yin, while Vu was among a host of players just one stroke further back.

Hull, Korda and Vu finished day one on a combined tally of 12-under-par. No other group managed better than one-under.

Ko carded three birdies in a tidy one-under 71, which left her four shots off the lead.

Round One leaderboard

-5 Charley Hull
-4 Ruoning Yin, Nelly Korda
-3 Lilia Vu, Jenny Shin, Mi Hyang Lee, Andrea Lee, Patty Tavatanakit, Mao Saigo

Round Two

Friday’s early starters were treated to slightly milder conditions with the heavy winds holding off until the afternoon.

Patty Tavatankit and 2022 Champion Ashleigh Buhai enjoyed bursts of low-scoring during this spell of kinder weather, with Tavatanakit sinking three consecutive birdies to go top temporarily on six-under-par. The Thai star was unable to maintain this blistering form, however, and came home in a four-over 40.

Buhai also put herself in the mix for a short while following two eagles in three holes.

But yet again, it was the marquee group who stole the show with Korda’s new putter helping her pull three clear of her elite playing partners by carding a bogey-free 68. World number six Yin again did well in the worst of the winds to card a level-par 72 to sit one behind Vu and Hull on four-under.

Caroline Inglis enjoyed a slice of history on Friday by registering a six-under 66 – the joint-best score in an AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews.

Four out of the five amateurs in the field made it to the weekend, the joint-most since Royal Liverpool in 2012. Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist carded a five-under-67 which catapulted her to an overall tally of three-under, well inside the cut line. Lottie Woad was just a shot further back while Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez was on two-over with Argentina’s Ela Anacona just inside the cut mark on four-over.

Ko recovered from a bogey on the 3rd to go one better than Thursday, landing consecutive birdies on 4 and 5 and 14 and 15.

Meanwhile 2009 Champion Catriona Matthew bowed out in style, bidding farewell to the AIG Women’s Open with a birdie on the 18th – just moments after she soaked up the adulation on the Swilcan Bridge.

Round Two leaderboard

-8 Nelly Korda
-5 Lilia Vu, Charley Hull
-4 Ruoning Yin
-3 Louise Rydqvist, Ashleigh Buhai, Lydia Ko, Mao Saigo, Pei-yun Chien, Casandra Alexander

Round Three

Jiyai Shin reminded everyone of her pedigree when she produced a Saturday masterclass to surge to the top of the leaderboard.

The two-time Champion signed for a superb five-under 67, punctuated with a number of sublime moments, including a sumptuous approach into 17 with a fairway wood.

Korda struggled to maintain her form of the first two days, suffering five bogeys and a double in a rare round of inconsistency from the world’s leading player.

Vu has proved her durability over the last three years and she was forced to dig deep once more following a dropped shot on 12 and a double-bogey on 13. She recovered by sinking birdies at 14, 16 and 18 to leave the minimum gap between her and Shin.

Woad finished with a fairytale eagle on 18 to move to two-under, five shots clear in the race for the Smyth Salver.

Esther Henseleit and Albane Valenquela shared a piece of history as they both carded 66s, the best third rounds in the history of the AIG Women’s Open.

Another steady round of 71 by Ko – featuring 15 pars and two birdies – moved her into the slipstream of the leaders.

-7 Jiyai Shin
-6 Lilia Vu
-5 Nelly Korda
-4 Jenny Shin, Lydia Ko
-3 Alexa Pano, Jeeno Thitikul, Jinhee Im, Ruoning Yin

Final Round

Spectators were treated to one of the most dramatic conclusions in recent major history, with the name of the winner unclear until the very end.

Having survived bracing winds and sporadic showers, Ko stood on the 17th tee in a four-way tie at the top alongside Korda, Shin and Vu. Seven strokes later she was the AIG Women’s Open Champion.

Shin led at the start of play, Korda temporarily pulled clear and Vu was never far away. But then neither was Ko. The only player to register four under-par rounds, the 27-year-old was always in contention – and claimed the outright lead with her final putt. A birdie on 18.

Korda admitted she “messed up” on the back nine as she watched a one-time two-shot lead evaporate while neither Vu nor Shin could match Ko’s fairytale finish.

Ko collected the full set of Olympic medals by winning gold in Paris just two weeks ago – and she has now added the AIG Women’s Open trophy to the Smyth Salver she won at Royal Liverpool in 2012 and shared with Georgia Hall at St Andrews in 2013.

Woad dug deep to win the Smyth Salver this year – birdieing the last – and Lexi Thompson waved goodbye on the Swilcan Bridge in what is very likely to be her final AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews.

Meanwhile, I K Kim, Champion in 2017, announced her retirement from the sport following the conclusion to her round.

Final leaderboard

-7 Lydia Ko
-5 Ruoning Yin, Nelly Korda, Jiyai Shin, Lilia Vu
-3 Ariya Jutanugarn
-2 Akie Iwai, Casandra Alexander, Mao Saigo