AIG Women's Open prize money 2026: How much they're playing for at Royal Lytham & St Annes
AIG Women's Open prize money 2026: Check out the payout information for the final major of the year.
The world's leading players head to Royal Lytham & St Annes this week for the 50th staging of the AIG Women's Open, where a landmark edition of the championship will bring the curtain down on the 2026 women's major season.
The historic Lancashire links hosts the event for a sixth time, with a field of 144 players aiming to lift the AIG Women's Open trophy.
World number Nelly Korda again headlines a field packed with major champions, while defending champion Miyu Yamashita returns aiming to become the first back-to-back winner since Yani Tseng in 2010-11.
England's Charley Hull will spearhead home hopes alongside Georgia Hall, with Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, Ruoning Yin, Jeeno Thitikul and a host of established contenders also in the hunt.
It will certainly be an emotional week for Hall, who won the last AIG Women's Open held at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Hall finished on a 72-hole total of 17-under, two clear of Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum to claim her first major title.
Royal Lytham & St Annes is regarded as one of the sternest tests in championship golf, with deep bunkering, thick rough and unpredictable coastal winds placing a premium on accuracy and patience.
Tournament organisers have also confirmed the 2026 edition of the AIG Women's Open will feature a record prize purse of $10m, up $250,000.
The prize fund for the Championship has more tripled since before The R&A’s partnership with AIG began in 2019.
Yamashita took home $1,462,500 in 2025, the largest amount in AIG Women’s Open history.
AIG Women's Open prize money 2026
Full payout information will appear here.
Year | Winner | Purse | Prize money |
2026 | TBC | $10,000,000 | $1,500,000 |
2025 | Miyu Yamashita | $9,750,000 | $1,462,500 |
2024 | Lydia Ko | $9,000,000 | $1,350,000 |
2023 | Lilia Vu | $9,000,000 | $1,350,000 |
2022 | Ashleigh Buhai | $7,300,000 | $1,095,000 |
2021 | Anna Nordqvist | $5,800,000 | $870,000 |
2020 | Sophia Popov | $4,500,000 | $675,000 |
2019 | Hinako Shibuno | $4,500,000 | $675,000 |
2018 | Georgia Hall | $3,250,000 | $490,000 |
2017 | In-Kyung Kim | $3,250,000 | $504,821 |
2016 | Ariya Jutanugarn | $3,000,000 | $412,047 |
2015 | Inbee Park | $3,000,000 | $464,817 |
2014 | Mo Martin | $3,000,000 | $474,575 |
2013 | Stacy Lewis | $2,750,000 | $402,583 |
2012 | Jiyai Shin | $2,750,000 | $428,650 |
2011 | Yani Tseng | $2,500,000 | $392,133 |
2010 | Yani Tseng | $2,500,000 | $408,714 |
2009 | Catriona Matthew | $2,200,000 | $335,000 |
2008 | Jiyai Shin | £2,100,000 | £314,464 |
2007 | Lorena Ochoa | £2,000,000 | £320,512 |
2006 | Sherri Steinhauer | £1,800,000 | £305,440 |
2005 | Jeong Jang | £1,800,000 | £280,208 |
2004 | Karen Stupples | £1,600,000 | £290,880 |
2003 | Annika Sorenstam | £1,600,000 | £254,880 |
2002 | Karrie Webb | £1,500,000 | £236,383 |
2001 | Se Ri Pak | £1,500,000 | £221,650 |
2000 | Sophie Gustafson | £1,250,000 | £178,000 |
1999 | Sherri Steinhauer | £1,000,000 | £160,000 |
1998 | Sherri Steinhauer | £1,000,000 | £162,000 |
1997 | Karrie Webb | £900,000 | £129,938 |
1996 | Emilee Klein | £850,000 | £124,000 |
1995 | Karrie Webb | £600,000 | £92,400 |
1994 | Lotte Neumann | £500,000 | £80,325 |
1993 | Karen Lunn | £300,000 | £50,000 |
1992 | Patty Sheehan | £300,000 | £50,000 |
1991 | Penny Grice-Whittaker | £150,000 | £25,000 |
1990 | Helen Alfredsson | £130,000 | £20,000 |
1989 | Jane Geddes | £120,000 | £18,000 |
1988 | Corinne Dibnah | £100,000 | £15,000 |
1987 | Alison Nicholas | £100,000 | £15,000 |
1986 | Laura Davies | £60,000 | £9,000 |
1985 | Betsy King | £60,000 | £9,000 |
1984 | Ayako Okamoto | £160,000 | £24,000 |
1982 | Marta Figueras-Dotti (a) | £23,000 | £6,000 |
1981 | Debbie Massey | £19,000 | £5,600 |
1980 | Debbie Massey | £15,000 | £4,500 |
1979 | Alison Sheard | £10,000 | £3,000 |
1978 | Janet Melville (a) | £5,000 | £1,000 |
1977 | Vivien Saunders | £500 | £210 |
1976 | Jenny Lee Smith (a) | £500 | £210 |
Tags:
Ben Smith joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
