Time flies when we’re having fun. This week marks the final major of the season in pro golf and the fifth one overall in the women’s game, as the AIG Women’s British Open tees it up Thursday at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.
Lydia Ko is the defending champion after claiming the Women’s British Open a year ago at St. Andrews.
Keep tabs on the first round of the Women’s British Open all day Thursday right here.
2025 AIG Women’s British Open leaderboard
To see the first-round leaderboard in action, click here.
Where to watch, follow the 2025 Women’s British Open
In addition to the options listed below, the R&A will live stream coverage all four days as well.
First round, Thursday, July 31
- 7 a.m. ET -2 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
- 7 a.m. ET -2 p.m. ET, USA
The complete daily viewing information can be found here.
Lottie Woad is now 56 under in her last three professional starts after making birdie on the first hole at Royal Porthcawl. It’s all looking very routine for the 21-year-old Englishwoman.
This week marks Woad’s ninth career LPGA start, with eight of those being major champioships.
All three players in Woad’s group birdied the first, including Lydia Ko and Lilia Vu.
The betting favorite found the fairway on the opening hole of the AIG Women British Open. Lottie Woad, playing in her eighth major championship but first as a pro, is playing alongside the past two AIG champions, Lydia Ko and Lilia Vu, in the first two rounds.
Woad finished in a share of 10th last year the Old Course and won in the Scottish Open last week in her first start as a professional.
Jeeno Thitikul, the best player in the women’s game without a major, is on top of another major board after draining a birdie bomb on the 15th hole. Thitikul holds the lead at 4 under with three 2s on the card. She lost in a playoff at the recent Amundi Evian Championship and finished in the top 5 at the KPMG Women’s PGA playing in the final group on Sunday.
Six players are currently tied at 3 under at Royal Porthcawl.
Thitikul went back home to Thailand after her time in France and said it was a good mental break.
“… going back to Thailand, I don’t think about golf at all,” said Thitikul. “I just hang out with friends, my family.”
Can Mao Saigo make it bookend majors in 2025? Long way to go but an opening 3-under 69 gives Saigo the early, early lead at Royal Porthcawl alongside compatriot Shiho Kuwaki.
A three-time winner on the JLPGA last year, Kuwaki qualified for the 2024 AIG but had to withdraw due to illness. She made the cut at Erin Hills earlier this summer in her major championship debut.
Japan’s Chisato Iwai and Mao Saigo are off to a hot start at Royal Porthcawl. Iwai birdied four out of six holes midway through her opening round to take the early lead at 4 under. Twin sister Akie tees off 11:48 local time.
Mao Saigo, winner of the first major of the year, is among those at 3 under. Two years ago, Lilia Vu won both the Chevron and AIG and the same year.
What are the tee times for the first round of the Women’s British Open?
The first group is off at 1:30 a.m. ET. All the first-round tee times can be found here. Some of the interesting groups are:
- 3:31 a.m. ET: Charley Hull, Minjee Lee, Atthaya Thitikul
- 7:54 a.m. ET: Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, Lottie Woad
- 8:16 a.m. ET: Ariya Jutanugarn, Nelly Korda, Angel Yin
Who’s in the field at the 2025 Women’s British Open?
It’s a stacked tee sheet at Royal Portcawl in Wales with all 20 LPGA winners, including the winners of the first four LPGA majors in 2025, as well as 11 past champions ready to compete. All of the top 25 in the Rolex Rankings are there, including No. 1 Nelly Korda, No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, No. 3 Lydia Ko, No. 4 Ruoning Yin and No. 5 Minjee Lee.
What is the field, format for the 2025 Women’s British Open?
The field will be 144 players with the low 65 and ties after 36 holes advancing to the third and final rounds. The format is 72 holes of stroke play.
What is the prize money for the 2025 Women’s British Open?
The total purse at the AIG is $9.75 million with the winner taking home $1.4625 million, a new high in the event’s history. That first-place money compares to the $1.2 million Grace Kim won at the Amundi Evian Championship, the $1.8 million Minjee Lee won at the KPMG Women’s PGA, the $2.4 million Maja Stark won at the U.S. Open and the $1.2 million that Mao Saigo won at the Chevron Championship.
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