After the Men’s Open Championship came to an end in Northern Ireland last month attention will now turn to the Women’s British Open, with Woburn Golf & Country Club in Buckinghamshire set to host this year’s tournament.
Georgia Hall
The event is the last of the five golf major’s in the women’s game and online retailer Golfbidder have provided six things you all you need to know about the last major of the year…
A British golfer is the current champion
In 2018, Britain’s Georgia Hall claimed her maiden golf major at the age of 22-years-old by winning the British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, winning with a two shot victory over Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum.
She became the first English winner of the event since Karen Stupples, who won the tournament 14 years previously in 2004 and the win led her to be appointed an MBE in 2019 for services to golf. Unusually, during the 2018 British Open Georgia’s caddy was her dad, Wayne.
This will be the 43rd Women’s British Open but only the 19th recognised as a major Championship
The Women’s British Open was established in 1976 and first took place at Fulford Golf Club in York, England. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that it became officially recognised by the LPGA as the fifth major golf tournament after replacing the du Maurier Classic in Canada, which was previously recognised as a major from 1979 to 2000. Three of the women’s five major championships, the ANA Inspiration, U.S. Women's Open and Women's PGA Championship, are held in the U.S., with other major, The Evian Championship, taking place in France.
Two golfers have won the tournament three times
Two women have won the Women’s British Open on three occasions. Australia’s Karrie Webb, a golf hall of famer, won the event in 1995, 1997 and 2001. Meanwhile Sherri Steinhauer of the United States won back-to-back events in 1998 and 1999 before winning the tournament for a third time in 2006. Despite both winning the event on three separate occasions, both Webb and Steinhauer only won the event once after it became recognised as a major championship in 2001.
Prize money will increase by 40% in 2019
Following major investment by new title sponsor AIG, this year’s Women’s British Open will see a 40% increase in the total amount of prize money available, rising to £3.6m in total and the winner of the tournament will be guaranteed a total of £539,000. As a result of the prize money increase, the event now offers the second highest prize fund of the five women’s golf major championships.
Unlike the men’s event, the Women’s British Open is not limited to Links golf courses
The Women’s British Open is yet to adopt a policy whereby the course must be a Links golf course, something that the men’s version of The Open abides by. As a result, The British Open benefits from being able to choose from a greater amount of venues including a number of venues that are closer to major cities, enabling more spectators to enjoy the tournament live.
The Smyth Salver award is presented to the best amateur
It’s not just the men’s events that have awards for the best amateur golfer at major championships. The Smyth Salver is awarded to the leading female who completes all 72 holes, with the winner also receiving a silver medal. The Smyth Salver is named after a former President of the Ladies’ Golf Union, Moira Smyth, who donated the Salver to the tournament.
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