Shiho Kuwaki Wins Her First Major at the 2026 AIG Women's Open

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Shiho Kuwaki, 23, won the 2026 AIG Women's Open — the final women's major of the year — in a playoff over Germany's Esther Henseleit at Royal Lytham & St Annes on August 2, 2026. It is Kuwaki's first LPGA Tour victory of any kind, arriving directly as a major championship.

How the Final Round Unfolded

Both players finished regulation at 5-under 279. Henseleit forced the playoff with a 45-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole — a shot good enough that it briefly looked like it would win the tournament outright before Kuwaki matched the number.

In the sudden-death playoff, Kuwaki found the green in regulation and two-putted for a safe par. Henseleit's tee shot on the same hole was deflected off a marshal and into a bush, forcing a pitch back into play and a resulting bogey — handing the championship to Kuwaki.

A Historic First

This was Kuwaki's first LPGA Tour win at any level, meaning her breakthrough victory came directly at a major — and in only her seventh major appearance. The event carried a record purse of $10 million, with the winner's share reported at $1.5 million.

Royal Lytham & St Annes is one of the oldest and most storied venues on the Open rotation; winning a major there in a playoff, on the back of a rival's dramatic near-miss, is the kind of finish that instantly elevates a player's profile in the sport.

What To Know

A maiden LPGA win that is also a maiden major, won in a playoff at one of golf's oldest venues, is the kind of career-launching moment that both golf fans and Japanese sports fans track closely — especially as Japan continues to produce young players making an immediate impact on the LPGA Tour.

Japanese golf fans have closely followed a wave of young LPGA players in recent years, and a first major title this early in a career (seventh major start) is treated as a major milestone in Japanese sports coverage, often compared to past breakthrough wins by other Japanese major champions.

What Fans Are Saying

• "A maiden major in your seventh major start is an incredible way to get your first win."
• "That playoff swung so fast — one bad bounce off a marshal and it was over."
• "Kuwaki staying calm on that playoff hole while everything happened around her was the story of the day."

Original Japanese

• 「メジャー7試合目でいきなり初優勝がメジャータイトルって、すごい」
• 「プレーオフ、あの跳ね返り一つで決まった感じがある」
• 「桑木選手が最後まで冷静だったのが印象的」

Easy Japanese

ゴルフの桑木志帆選手が、イギリスで行われた大きな大会「AIG全英女子オープン」で優勝しました。プレーオフの末の優勝で、桑木選手にとって初めてのツアー優勝です。