Highlighting history

From modest beginnings to major milestones, the story of the AIG Women’s Open is one of pioneering endeavour, progression and expansion.

The Championship is virtually unrecognisable from the first edition in 1976 with so many landmarks smashed along the way.

So we delved through the archives to explore a series of historic firsts achieved by some all-time greats at golf’s most international major.

Who was the first AIG Women’s Open Champion?

Trailblazer. History maker. Ground breaker.

Just three ways to describe Jenny Lee Smith [above left], the maiden winner of the AIG Women’s Open.

The golf-obsessed Northumberland native was feeling under the weather ahead of the inaugural Championship, and was close to withdrawing.

But she summoned all her strength to reel off a two-shot victory over Mary McKenna – and etch her name into golfing folklore.

Who was the first non-British Champion?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first three winners of the AIG Women’s Open all hailed from England – Lee Smith, Vivien Saunders and Janet Melville.

But in 1979, a golfing hurricane blew in from South Africa in the shape of Alison Sheard who was about to enjoy the finest season of her career.

Sheard recovered superbly from an opening-round 83, shooting scores of 74, 72 and 72 to finish three clear of Mickey Walker.

Who was the first golfer to successfully defend the AIG Women’s Open?

Not content with being the first American winner of the AIG Women's Open, in 1980, the great Debbie Massey [above] defended her crown the following year to become the first two-time Champion.

Another landmark unlocked.

Massey remains one of only three players – alongside Sherri Steinhauer (1998, 1999) and Yani Tseng (2010, 2011) – to have won back-to-back AIG Women's Open titles.

Who was the first player to win the AIG Women’s Open three times?

An elite band of just five golfers have won this Championship more than once. And just two have won it three times.

The first to do so was the irrepressible Karrie Webb [above].

Making her debut on the Ladies European Tour in 1995, the 20-year-old Australian simply tore through the field to win the AIG Women's Open at the first time of asking, triumphing by an impressive six shots at Woburn.

She bettered that two years later when she won by eight shots at Sunningdale. In doing so, Webb set the record for the lowest 72-hole total in the history of the Championship (269).

Her third AIG Women’s Open victory arrived at Turnberry in 2002, where a superb final-round 66 saw off her compatriot Michelle Ellis.

(The only other player to have won the AIG Women’s Open three times is Steinhauer).

Who was the first winner of the Smyth Salver?

Since 1979, the amateur golfer with the lowest score over 72 holes has received the Smyth Salver.

The first recipient was England’s Sue Hedges, while a number of future greats, such as Anna Nordqvist [below left, with Jiyai Shin] and Lydia Ko, have also picked up this prestigious award.

When was the first time the AIG Women’s Open was staged outside England?

The first 26 editions of the Championship were held on courses all around England – before Webb won her third title on the Ailsa course at Turnberry in Scotland in 2002.

When was the first play-off in the AIG Women’s Open?

Australia’s Corinne Dibnah and USA’s Sally Little could not be separated after 72 holes at Lindrick in 1988 – leading to the Championship’s first-ever play-off.

The pair finished one stroke ahead of the previous year's winner, Alison Nicholas, on a fascinating final day.

A dramatic sudden-death play-off was therefore required, with Dibnah birdieing the second extra hole to take the title.

When was the first time the prize fund reached £1m?

The AIG Women’s Open was awarded major status in 2001 – and the prize fund was boosted to £1m to honour the Championship’s ascension.

South Korea’s Se Ri Pak – a future Hall of Famer – was victorious at that year’s AIG Women’s Open, winning by two strokes over her compatriot Mi Hyun Kim.

Who hit the first known hole-in-one in the Championship?

Catriona Matthew [above] nailed the first known hole-in-one in AIG Women’s Open history. It came at the 15th hole during her second round at Sunningdale in 2001.

Amazingly, it wasn’t her last.

Matthew found another ace three years later – again at Sunningdale – this time at the 8th hole.

And, almost incomprehensibly, the proud Scot made it a hat-trick of holes-in-one at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2009, the year she became Champion.

Who was the first AIG Women’s Open Champion to be inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame?

One of the greatest female players in history, Patty Sheehan won the AIG Women’s Open at Woburn in 1992 and was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame the following year.

The American great won six majors in a storied career.