Women's Golf continues to soar as AIG Women's Open smashes attendance and audience records

The 50th edition of the AIG Women's Open proved to be one of the most successful in the championship's history, with record attendance, surging television audiences and unprecedented digital engagement at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

A total of 55,000 spectators attended the championship across the week, making it the highest attendance since AIG became title sponsor. The figure represents a significant increase on the 47,000 fans who watched last year's championship at Royal Porthcawl.

The championship also continued to inspire the next generation of golfers, with almost 4,500 children under the age of 16 attending free of charge through The R&A's longstanding Kids Go Free initiative.

The growth extended well beyond the ropes.

Sky Sports recorded daily record average audiences across all four championship days, with viewing figures rising 18.4 per cent year-on-year. The introduction of expanded early-round live coverage for 2026 also helped drive a significant increase in total live viewing hours.

Sky Sports further enhanced its coverage with features including Sky Pad, Open Lens analysis, player interviews, dedicated studio programming and comprehensive digital and Sky Sports News coverage.

Digital audiences also reached new highs. The AIG Women's Open generated 8.1 million live minutes watched across R&A TV and YouTube—an increase of 181 per cent compared to last year. R&A TV also enjoyed its largest-ever live audience for the championship, with viewing up 17 per cent year-on-year and average viewing duration increasing by 10 per cent.

Across the championship's digital platforms, total impressions increased by 218 per cent compared with 2025, while overall engagements rose by 39 per cent. Social media engagement continued its upward trajectory, climbing 41 per cent, with engagement levels now 20 times higher than five years ago.

The official AIG Women's Open app also recorded its strongest performance to date, with app users increasing by 11 per cent across the four championship days and new users rising by 43 per cent.

Japan's Shiho Kuwaki won the AIG Women's Open, marking her first major title.

Kuwaki overcame Germany's Esther Henseleit with a par on the second extra hole.

Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, claimed the figures demonstrated the continued momentum behind women's golf.

"As part of our strategy to open golf to the world, we are committed to staging inspiring championships and the 50th AIG Women's Open has undoubtedly achieved that aim," said Darbon. 

"We have seen just how much the AIG Women's Open means to fans with our highest attendance in recent years and fantastic engagement across our broadcast and digital audiences globally.

"With the incredible support we receive from AIG, we are working to elevate the AIG Women's Open and ensure that it is at the pinnacle of the women's game for players and fans alike.

"We have seen some amazing golf this week from the world's best women players at one of the sport's most renowned links venues, and it is gratifying to see that reflected in the excellent engagement we have seen across the board."

Attention now turns to the next chapter in the championship's history, with the 2027 AIG Women's Open set to be staged at Royal St George's for the first time from 28 July to 1 August.