Top 10

American Lilia Vu claimed her second major title by winning the AIG Women’s Open in August.

The Californian produced a masterful final-round display to defeat runner-up Charley Hull by six shots.

In behind the leading duo were some of the game's modern-day greats, including four more golfers from USA, many residing inside the top 20 of the Rolex World Rankings.

Here’s a reminder of how Walton Heath’s top 10 came to be.

1 Lilia Vu (72, 68, 67, 67)

Vu enjoyed a number of stand-out moments on her way to AIG Women’s Open glory.

An opening-round 72 did not exactly hint at what was to come but the 25-year-old hit the after burners on Friday to leave the rest of the field floundering.

Vu was excellent tee to green across the four days. She was sixth in greens in regulation for the week and ninth in fairways hit. Nobody had fewer putts on Sunday than Vu’s tally of 25 – only Sweden’s Linn Grant had fewer (24) all week.

Vu was just a few feet away from sinking an incredible ace on the par-4 10th on the Saturday.

Following up her success in the Chevron Championship in April, Vu became the first American woman to win two majors in the same year since Juli Inkster in 1999, and enjoyed her Solheim Cup debut in Spain in September.

2 Charley Hull (71, 68, 68, 73)

Hull came close to achieving what would have been a very popular win on home soil, only to be pipped at the post by Vu.

Attracting swathes of support on all four days, Hull produced back-to-back 68s to command a share of the lead going into Sunday.

While she wasn’t able to convert this joint-lead into a first major title, Hull gave the fans plenty to cheer – including holing out from a bunker for eagle on the final day, prompting wild scenes around the 11th green.

“I really feel like next year will be my time,” said a determined Hull afterwards.

3 Jiyai Shin (73, 69, 69, 70)

One of only five players to have won the AIG Women's Open more than once (in 2008 and 2012), Jiyai Shin reminded everyone of her undoubted class by finishing third in this year’s edition.

The South Korean opened with a one-over-par 73 but found her stride towards the end of day two, collecting four birdies on the back nine to creep into the red.

It was more of the same on Saturday with five birdies helping Shin to a three-under 69.

Unable to catch Vu and Hull up ahead, two birdies on the final five holes moved her up four places into outright third.

T4 Hyo Joo Kim (70, 70, 68, 74)

“Steady as she goes” was one commentator’s assessment of Hyo Joo Kim’s opening two rounds of 70.

A birdie on the 18th on Friday moved her into second place behind only Ally Ewing.

Kim did even better on the Saturday, posting six birdies on her way to a four-under 68.

A sustained challenge didn’t quite materialise, although a birdie on the 8th on Sunday did momentarily push her into second place once more, just three strokes behind Vu.

T4 Amy Yang (69, 76, 67, 70)

Amy Yang had a mixed week at Walton Heath, shooting a three-under 69 on Thursday followed by a four-over 76 on Friday.

However, the South Korean regrouped and found eight birdies on moving day, including four in the final six holes.

Five more birdies on Sunday wasn’t enough to break Vu’s stride but it did guarantee Yang a share of fourth place.

T6 Angel Yin (72, 69, 67, 76)

Angel Yin was in the reckoning for most of the week before slipping down the leaderboard on Sunday.

Much like Yang, Yin’s challenge really came to life on Saturday when she landed six birdies, including three in a row from the 9th.

Another highlight came on day two when she eagled the par-5 16th.

T6 Ally Ewing (68, 66, 75, 75)

Ewing was the player everyone was talking about after two days of this year’s Championship.

Rounds of 68 and 66 – the lowest round of the week – gave Ewing a five-shot lead going into the weekend.

But things began to unravel as soon as she opened her third round with a bogey.

Five more bogeys would follow on a disappointing Saturday and successive 75s meant Ewing had to settle for tied sixth place.

T6 Allisen Corpuz (70, 71, 74, 69)

Allisen Corpuz put together three solid under-par rounds in Surrey.

Unable to follow up her victory in the US Women’s Open in July, Corpuz did, however, finish in style, landing five birdies in a nine-hole stretch which pushed her 11 places up the leaderboard into a tie for sixth.

Like fellow major winner Vu, Corpuz made her Solheim Cup debut in Spain in September.

T9 Andrea Lee (71, 68, 72, 74)

Andrea Lee’s best round came on Friday courtesy of a four-under 68.

Renowned for her ability on the greens, Lee drained a 25ft birdie putt on the 17th which moved her into outright second at one stage, six shots behind compatriot Ewing, who Lee joined in USA's 2023 Solheim Cup team.

On the fringes of contention, Lee couldn’t find top gear over the weekend but she still managed her second top-10 at the AIG Women’s Open following her seventh-place finish at Royal Troon in 2020.

T9 Olivia Cowan (72, 72, 71, 70)

Olivia Cowan capped off a solid week by finding two birdies on the final three holes to sneak into the top 10.

The German collected 18 birdies across the four days but was derailed by a triple-bogey 7 at the 15th on the Saturday.