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R&A Raises AIG Women’s Open Purse to $10 Million, Boosts Live Coverage

The move signals a long-term push to grow the major’s reach through steady funding plus more airtime.

Overview

  • The R&A set the 2026 AIG Women’s Open purse at $10 million for Royal Lytham & St Annes from July 29 to Aug. 2, a sixth straight increase and a $250,000 bump from 2025.
  • Live coverage will expand by about 20% to 34 hours, with Sky Sports and R&A TV in the UK and Golf Channel, USA Network and NBC in the US carrying longer blocks.
  • The R&A said the event will now deliver the most linear TV hours of any women’s major, including seven hours of live coverage for each of the final two rounds.
  • Organizers confirmed the venue rota, with Royal St George’s hosting in 2027 and Sunningdale’s Old Course returning in 2028.
  • Since AIG became title sponsor in 2019, the purse has more than tripled versus 2018 levels, placing the championship behind only the U.S. Women’s Open and KPMG Women’s PGA at $12 million as it marks its 50th year.