Ryu Hae-ran Chases Historic Third Major at AIG Women’s Open

Ryu Hae-ran can turn her memorable season into a historic one this week in England as she tries to win her third LPGA major title of the year.

Ryu, the world No. 3, will tee off at the 50th AIG Women's Open on Thursday at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, England. The winner will receive US$1.5 million.

She won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship for her first major title at the end of June and followed it by winning the Amundi Evian Championship two weeks later.

Only four LPGA players have won three major championships in a single season: Babe Zaharias in 1950, Mickey Wright in 1961, Pat Bradley in 1986 and South Korea's Park In-bee in 2013.

This year, Ryu and world No. 1 Nelly Korda have split the first four majors. Korda leads the Annika Major Award standings, which were established in 2014 to recognize the best overall major-championship performance each season.

Players earn points based on top-10 finishes, with a win worth 60 points. Ryu has 120 points from her two wins, but she did not earn points at the other two majors. She tied for 12th at the Chevron Championship and missed the U.S. Women's Open because of an injury. Korda won the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open, and tied for eighth at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship for 126 points in the Annika Major Award race.

Korda also leads Ryu in the Player of the Year standings, holding a 73-point edge with 225 points. Players earn 30 points for a win at a regular event and 60 points for a major win.

Ryu is also second behind Korda in scoring average at 69.40, trailing the American by 0.35.

Among other South Koreans, Kim Hyo-joo, world No. 4, is seeking her first major title since the 2014 Evian Championship. The 31-year-old has won twice this year, joining Ryu, Korda, Hannah Green and Jeeno Thitikul as multiple champions.

Jenny Shin is the latest South Korean winner on the tour after ending a 10-year drought with a victory at the Women's Scottish Open on Sunday. She climbed 62 places to No. 36 in the rankings, her highest position since 2016.

Kim Min-sol, who leads the KLPGA Tour this season with three victories, will also tee off this week. She is ranked No. 16 and is the top KLPGA member in the world rankings.

"I am looking forward to competing against and learning from the best players of the world," Kim said. "My objective is to play all four rounds."

Former champions Shin Ji-yai and Kim In-kyung are also in the field. Kim, the 2017 winner, will make her first LPGA tournament appearance since announcing her retirement at the 2024 tournament. Shin, who now plays in Japan, will play in her second major of the season after tying for 34th at the U.S. Women's Open.