AIG Women’s Open Preview – Walton Heath

7 August 2023

This year the AIG Women’s Open visits Walton Heath Golf Club for the first time. 

Last year, Ashleigh Buhai became the first female South African player to win at Muirfield. Buhai prevailed in a four-hole playoff as the light faded against South Korea’s In Gee Chun. 

The Major will be unlike previous years as it will include a ‘Festival Fan Village’ with live entertainment and performances from the likes of Ellie Goulding and Freya Ridings. 

In addition, the Festival Fan Village will also include the Sessions Stage where live podcast recordings, documentary screenings, live Q&As, player appearances, and the Golf It! Zone will encourage fans to get into golf. 

The RSPB are conducting daily Nature Walks in and around the course to showcase how golf and nature are working in harmony. It truly is going to be a Major like no other, let’s hope the golf is the same! 

This is the 47th playing of the event and 23rd as a Major Championship. Walton Heath will be a true test of golf with holes throughout the course that can penalise players for misplaced shots. 

Holes four and six for amateurs are costly in terms of scoring. 

Looking at scoring to par, the second plays 1.16 shots over par and the fourth plays 1.15 shots over par meaning that amateurs typically lose a shot here. Amateurs make Par on hole six 23% of the time, the lowest of any hole on the course proving how difficult scoring is.

The 16th will be an interesting hole to watch the Professionals try to navigate. A risk reward Par 5 that could make or break the scorecard for many.

On the final day we could see drama here depending how the leaderboard looks. With 46 of the top 50 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings amongst the competitors, there are plenty stars looking to take home the title and their share of the $7.3 million purse.

Will Celine Boutier maintain her form with back-to-back wins in the build-up to the event? Boutier made her maiden Major victory at the FREED Group Women’s Scottish Open and won the previous week at The Amundi Evian Championship. Could it be three in a row?

The Sky Sports Women’s Open preview kicks off at 4pm and the event coverage is as follows:

• Thursday 11am-6pm – Sky Sports Golf
• Friday 11am-6pm – Sky Sports Golf
• Saturday 12pm-7pm – Sky Sports Golf
• Sunday 12pm-7pm – Sky Sports Golf

With the day’s highlights available online later in the evening.

As with all Majors, the field is filled with the game’s best of the best and past champions as well as rising talents. Will there be a runaway winner like Brian Harman at Royal Liverpool? Or will it be an edge of the seat playoff like last year? There is only one way to find out!

Later this week we will be taking a closer look at the hardest and easiest holes at Walton Heath Golf Club.