AIG Women’s Open Tips: Lydia can Ko the field at St Andrews

It's time to finish off the LPGA major season, with the AIG Women’s Open at the Old Course at St Andrews.

Our star golf tipster Jamie Worsley is in red-hot form at the moment, with five winners in the last five weeks! Here are his AIG Women's Open tips, which range from 30/1 to a massive 150/1...

Lauren Coughlin’s fantastic year continued at Dundonald Links last week, as the American, who had been without an LPGA win in her first eight years as a pro, recorded her second victory in three starts at the Women’s Scottish Open.

It followed victory in the CPKC Women’s Open two starts earlier and now takes her to a career-high 14^th in the Rolex Rankings, as well as a debut Solheim Cup appearance in just a few weeks.

Coughlin looks set to be among the leading contenders as we head across to the east coast of Scotland for our final major championship of the year, the AIG Women’s Open at the Old Course – St Andrews.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The Women’s Open was only granted major championship status as recently as 2001, making it the second-newest of the five majors in the women’s game.

It started off life as an amateur event - that was also open to professionals - in 1976, before becoming a professional event on the Ladies European Tour in 1979. The LPGA started co-sanctioning the tournament in 1994, which enabled it to attract stronger fields and in turn, grow in stature. Resulting in that upgrade to a major championship in 2001.

Korea’s Se Ri Pak won the first major edition of the event at Sunningdale in 2001 and it’s Korean golfers who have enjoyed the most overall success during this time, accounting for six of the winners. This includes Jiyai Shin, who with her two wins in 2008/2012 is one of just two players to have recorded multiple victories, joining Yani Tseng, after the Taiwanese star won back-to-back titles in 2010/2011.

We’ve also had three British winners in this time, most recent of whom was Georgia Hall at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2018. This followed victories for Karen Stupples (2004) and Catriona Matthew (2009).

Last five winners:

• 2023 (Walton Heath) – Winner: Lilia Vu (-14); runner-up: Charley Hull (-8)
• 2022 (Muirfield) – Winner: Ashleigh Buhai (-10, playoff); runner-up: Ingee Chun (-10)
• 2021 (Carnoustie) – Winner: Anna Nordqvist (-12); runners-up: Georgia Hall, Madelene Sagstrom, Lizette Salas (-11)
• 2020 (Royal Troon) – Winner: Sophia Popov (-7); runner-up: Jasmine Suwannapura (-5)
• 2019 (Woburn) – Winner: Hinako Shibuno (-18); runner-up: Lizette Salas (-17)

Last year saw Lilia Vu claim her second major title of the year in emphatic fashion, as she beat Charley Hull into 2^nd by six strokes at Walton Heath. Vu returns to defend and would become just the second player (after Yani Tseng) to win back-to-back Women’s Opens.

THE COURSE

The Women’s Open doesn’t strictly take place on links course, though does so more often than not. The world-famous Old Course at St Andrews will be hosting the event for the third time this week, and for the first time since 2013.

Previous Women’s Opens at St Andrews:

• 2013 – Winner: Stacy Lewis (-8); runners-up: Na Yeon Choi, Hee Young Park (-6)
• 2007 – Winner: Lorena Ochoa (-5); runners-up: Maria Hjorth, Jee Young Lee (-1)

The course will play at over 100-yards longer than it did 11 years ago, with this par 72 now measuring 6784 yards. It possesses 14x par 4s (341-439 yards), 2x par 5s (525-577 yards) and 2x par 3s (165-173 yards).

The Old Course, often called “The Home of Golf”, is said by many to be the oldest golf course in the world, with suggestions that a form of the game was played here as far back as the mid-1500s.

It was shaped by the elements on Scotland’s east coast, though there have been several renovation projects undertaken over the subsequent centuries. Most notable of which involved Old Tom Morris in the 1800s.

If links golf is the purest form of the game, then St Andrews must be one of the purest golf courses on the planet.

Totally exposed to whatever conditions the unpredictable weather throws up, the course features generous and undulating fairways, which can run very firm due to the sandy base. There is all manner of trouble aside them, with small, steep-faced pot bunkers and gorse bushes almost always resulting in an instant penalty, whilst players can catch a very difficult lie in the fescue rough.

The huge, largely open-fronted greens – many of which serve two holes – are where the Old Course really comes alive. The often multi-tiered surfaces possess some of the most severe slopes you’re likely to find, making three-putts commonplace and testing the patience of even the most confident putters.

Deep bunkers guard many a surface, with roguish false-fronts and run-offs sending the ball hurtling off the green. Calling on the skills of the best short-game players in the field.

This historied venue has recognisable holes at every turn, especially at the close of each nine. We open with the 375-yard par 4 1^st, as players hit their tee shot into an expansive fairway before taking on the green, which is protected by the Swilcan Burn to the front.

The 439-yard par 4 17^th is one of the most famous and arguably the toughest hole on the course. The field will take on the corner of the Old Course Hotel off-the-tee, hitting a drive into a generous but bottlenecking fairway that is at an angle from the tee position. Find the fairway and the task doesn’t get easier, with the players tasked with firing their approach into an extremely narrow, angled and sloping putting surface, which is protected by a bunker to the front and out-of-bounds long.

The 354-yard par 4 18^th provides us with one of the most iconic images in the game, as players finish up their rounds in front of the iconic St Andrews Clubhouse. Played into the same mammoth fairway as the 1^st hole, this will be made drivable this week, though it does come with a note of caution. The large sloping green falls off dramatically from the front and will leave players with the unenviable task of getting up-and-down from the aptly-named “Valley of Sin” should they come up short.

Despite this and the obvious challenges that it presents, St Andrews’ Old Course – as with many links venues - can be got at it in benign conditions. It will need the weather to play its part to provide us with those true linksy conditions that we crave when we tune into these events, and we may just get what we want this week.

THE WEATHER

The rain forecast in the days leading up to the start of the event is forecast to continue into the first two days of the tournament, before making way for potentially dryer conditions over the weekend.

Wind is set to be a feature throughout the week, with gusts set to hit just shy of 40mph on Thursday and staying at around 30mph over the other three tournament days. This will give the Old Course that bite it needs and make for an entertaining week in Scotland.

KEY STATS

• SG: Around-the-Greens/Scrambling
• SG: Putting
• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation
• Driving Distance
• Par 4 Scoring

The short game is always of paramount importance at St Andrews and with those forecast conditions, they should come even more to the fore this week. As players no doubt struggle to control their ball in the wind.

High-quality approach play into these large surfaces is another area that often proves key here. Not necessarily by attacking the pins, but by positioning their ball smartly on the sloping greens.

Whilst waywardness off-the-tee will lead to all kinds of trouble, this is a relatively long setup, and big-hitters tend to thrive at the venue into the generous fairways.

Finally, with the unusually high volume of par 4s at the course, it makes sense to favour players who rank among the top players on tour in par 4 scoring.

TOURNAMENT TRENDS

This isn’t the most trend-heavy event but there are a few points of interest that can help us find this week’s winner.

• Hinako Shibuno in 2019 is the only debutant to win the event. The other nine winners in the last 10 years had all made the cut in a previous renewal; seven had multiple starts under their belt.
• Nine of those 10 latest winners had finished inside the top-25 in a major previously; seven had finished inside the top-5.
• Just one player in the last 10 years had failed to record a top-25 in their prior three starts before winning the Women’s Open.
• Winning form that season hasn’t been overly telling in those most recent editions, with only four having recorded a win in that calendar year.
• The Women’s Open’s reputation of being the most unpredictable of majors is enhanced by just half of the last 10 winners having LPGA victories to their name.

CORRELATING EVENTS

Whilst there are plenty of nuanced differences about all links courses, the fundamentals of playing them are largely the same and there’s really no substitute for previous form on these types of setups. Therefore, we should look at those with previous form in this event (barring the 2016 and 2019 renewals) in addition to players who have performed well in the Women’s Scottish Open.

As with last week, we’ll focus in on a few events in the US, with the Shoprite LPGA Classic at Seaview’s Bay Course standing out. This exposed and somewhat linksy coastal venue has forged many a Women’s Open winner, with Stacy Lewis (our last winner at St Andrews) a two-time winner, whilst Ashleigh Buhai, Anna Nordqvist and I.K Kim are among the list of players to have won both events.

The Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club and The Ascendant LPGA at Old American Golf Club are too worth consideration. Both courses are exposed, well bunkered and often affected by the wind.

THE FIELD

Despite her drop off in form, Nelly Korda maintains her place as the world #1 and leads an extremely strong field, which includes 46 of the world’s top-50.

Our defending champion, Lilia Vu sits at #2 in the rankings. She is one of 13 former winners in attendance, joined by Ashleigh Buhai (2022), Anna Nordqvist (2021), Sophia Popov (2020), Hinako Shibuno (2019), Georgia Hall (2018), I.K Kim (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), Stacy Lewis (2013), Jiyai Shin (2012, 2008), Yani Tseng (2011, 2010), Catriona Matthew (2009) and Karrie Webb (2002).

Final qualifying was held yesterday at Crail Golfing Society. Among the 12 players to play their way into this week are LPGA winners, Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Lee-Anne Pace, along with former top-25 amateur, Annabell Fuller of England.

We also have a strong group of amateurs set to tee it up, including the current #1 and #2 in the world, Lottie Woad and Julia Lopez Ramirez. Also, look out for Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist, who has made it to the final four of the Women’s Amateur Championship twice in the last three years.

AIG Women's Open Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main AIG Women's Open market on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this tournament.

SELECTIONS

Market leaders: Nelly Korda 11/1, Ayaka Furue 12/1, Jin Young Ko 18/1, Haeran Ryu 20/1, Lilia Vu 22/1, Atthaya Thitikul 22/1, Lauren Coughlin 22/1

Nelly Korda’s understandably regressive form means that she’s out in price again this week, and almost joined at the top by our latest major winner, Ayaka Furue of Japan.

It’s hard to go quite so short in the betting. The potentially volatile conditions could lead to some kind of draw bias developing and brings luck into the equation, even more so than usual.

Instead, at more than double the price of those market leaders we find Lydia Ko, who showed that she can still get it done in these high-class events when claiming her Olympic gold medal two weeks ago. Following that with a strong showing in the Women’s Scottish Open last week, she looks primed for a first major success in eight years.

1.75 pts Lydia Ko each-way (1/4 - 5 places) - 30/1 

Ko has been in fine form over her last three starts, which followed a more subdued period after she started the year well. She hasn’t finished outside the top-10 over those most recent efforts, finishing 8^th in the CPKC Women’s Open, winning at the Olympics and then she finished 9^th at Dundonald Links last week in the Scottish Open.

The New Zealander ticks almost every box statistically. She possesses one of the absolute best short games on tour, ranking 5^th in scrambling, 10^th around-the-greens and 21^st in putting this year. Her approach play compliments this, ranking 23^rd and as a top-20 par 4 scorer, she can handle the bulk of holes here. Even her occasionally erratic driving should be treated less harshly with the generous fairways she’ll find at the Old Course.

She did play here back in 2013 when she was still an amateur, tying Georgia Hall for low amateur as both finished in 42^nd place. Her two best efforts in the event since then saw her finish 3^rd at Turnberry in 2015 and 7^th at Muirfield in 2022, whilst with several top-5s across the Women’s Scottish Open, Shoprite Classic and The Ascendant, she has plenty of appealing correlating form.

With her creativity, it’s perhaps a surprise that Ko hasn’t been more of a feature near the top of previous Women’s Open leaderboards. However, the Old Course may just suit her better than any and with confidence flying high, she has every chance of lifting another major this week.

1.75 pts Hannah Green each way (1/4 - 5 places) - 30/1

Hannah Green is another strong statistical match for this challenge and having enjoyed a superb year on tour so far, she can cap it all off by becoming a two-time major winner on the Old Course.

Green won twice over her first six starts this year, taking the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore and the JM Eagle LA Championship back in April. She hasn’t missed a cut in her eight starts following that second win, recording six top-25s and two top-5s, the latest of which came when we saw her finish 4^th at the Olympics two weeks ago.

The Aussie has been one of the best putters on tour for several years now and has again been shining with the flat stick this year, ranking 14^th. Her short game looks strong all round, ranking 33^rd around-the-greens, whilst her ball-striking is a great fit for this test, ranking 13^th in greens-in-regulation, 20^th in approach and 30^th in driving distance. When we also counter in that she ranks 4^th in par 4 scoring, there’s everything to suggest she should relish the demands of St Andrews.

Green has made the cut in five of her six Women’s Open appearances to date, recording a best of 16^th in 2019. Her runner-up finish in this year’s Mizuho Americas Open is an indication of how she can perform on exposed links-like setups, and shows that she can follow compatriot, Karrie Webb to become the second Australian to win this major title.

1.25 pts Celine Boutier each way (1/4 - 5 places) - 40/1 

I was concerned that Celine Boutier would suffer a hangover in Scotland following her disappointing finish at home in the Olympics on her previous start. This somewhat came to fruition over the first two days at Dundonald Links, though she found her stride over the weekend and if bringing that same energy to St Andrews, this experienced links player would have every chance this week.

Boutier has failed to match the blistering form she showed last year but she’s still been perfectly solid in 2024, making 15 of her 16 cuts and recording seven top-25 finishes.

She opened with a superb 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead at the Olympics two starts ago, though dropped down the leaderboard over the next two rounds. However, she was still well in medal contention entering Sunday, but failed to get anything going, shooting 2-over to finish 18^th. Her week in Scotland started much like that week in Paris ended, as she opened with a pair of 74s but shooting six shots better over the weekend with consecutive 71s, she looked to have got over her home disappointments.

The Frenchwoman’s short game was electric last year, as she ranked 1^st in scrambling, 3^rd around-the-greens and 20^th in putting. Though the putter hasn’t been quite as strong this year, she’s still been good around-the-greens, ranking 21^st and as a top-20 approach player, she has plenty in her favour to go well this week.

She has been performing strongly on the links since her amateur days, finishing 2^nd in the Girls Amateur Championship at Gullane in 2011 and then winning the Women’s Amateur Championship at Portstewart in 2015. She even finished 2^nd here in the St Rule Trophy in 2013, an event played over both the Old and New Courses at St Andrews.

Indeed, Boutier made her Women’s Open debut here in 2013 when still an amateur, finishing a commendable 56^th. She’s since gone on to record two top-10s after turning pro, including a 7^th-place finish at Muirfield in 2022 and as a player with wins in both the Women’s Scottish Open and Shoprite Classic, there are countless reasons to be positive about her chances.

1 pt Georgia Hall each way (1/4 - 5 places) - 55/1

2018 Women’s Open winner, Georgia Hall is playing her best golf of the year currently and as one of the strongest links performers around, she looks an attractive price to contend this week.

Hall’s year had been slow to get going though she arrives here after making each of her last six cuts. She’s hit the top-20 on four occasions over that period, including recording her best finish of the year when 3^rd in the Aramco Series – London event and she again impressed last week, finishing 12^th in Scotland.

Most areas of her game have been improved over that period, but it’s been reassuring to see her finally find some form in approach and on the greens. These are areas in which she typically performs best, and it will serve her well here if able to maintain that rediscovered quality.

Her links pedigree stretches back to her amateur career, as she won the Girls Amateur at Tenby Golf Club and Women’s Amateur at Machynys Peninsula Golf Club (a more modern links layout) in consecutive years in 2012/2013.

As mentioned, Hall shared low amateur honours with Lydia Ko here in 2013 and has since gone on to develop an exceptional record in the event in the pro ranks, winning at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2018, finishing 2^nd at Carnoustie in 2021 and 3^rd at Kingsbarns in 2017. With her confidence improving she now looks a very dangerous player as we return to the major that most suits her.

0.75 pts Angel Yin each way (1/4 - 5 places) - 150/1

Angel Yin’s short-game skills make her an interesting candidate this week and coming into the event after her best finish of the year last time out, she looks well worth a shot at this three-figure price.

2023 was a good year for Yin as she finally made her LPGA breakthrough in China towards the end of the year. She wasn’t able to build on that at the start of this year, as an ankle injury stunted her progress, but after a series of missed cuts and low finishes, she burst into life at the Portland Classic on her last start, finishing 2^nd.

Her typically strong short game was on show there, as she ranked 9^th in scrambling and 11^th on the greens. However, it was this big-hitter’s ball-striking performance that caught the eye, producing her best numbers of the year, ranking 13^th off-the-tee and 27^th in approach. If able to match this with her short game, for which she ranks 1^st on tour in putting this season and top-50 around-the-greens, she’s exactly the type who could spring a surprise near the top of the leaderboard on this layout.

Yin has a solid Women’s Open record to date, making five of her eight cuts and recorded her best ever finish in the event last year, finishing 6^th at Walton Heath. A course that has much in common with the Old Course, despite its inland location, with wide, firm and well-bunkered fairways and large, undulating greens. That should allow this exciting player to give an impressive account of herself this week.

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