Lydia Ko Wins AIG Women's Open In Thrilling Finale At St Andrews: As It Happened

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the AIG Women's Open final round.

We are set for a thrilling conclusion to this championship, with a host of world-class players fighting it out at the top of the leaderboard. Jiyai Shin starts with a slender advantage out in front, and with plenty of winning experience behind her, no one would be surprised to see the Korean close it out.

However, the World No.1 and 2 sit directly behind her and could well power past if they find their groove early on.

Join me to find out what happens at St Andrews until a champion is crowned later on today!

LEADERS ARE UNDERWAY

Everyone is now out on the course at St Andrews, with leader Jiyai Shin the final player to start. There has never been a three-time winner of this event since it became a Major in 2001 - Shin is potentially 18 holes away from changing that and adding to her extraordinarily successful career.

Shin won the Women's Open in 2008 and 2012 - one of several facts about the must successful Korean golfer of all time.

SHIN OFF THE FLAGSTICK

Our leader almost makes a sublime start, sending her approach shot at one off the flagstick. Luckily, it had bounced first so came to a rest well within comfortable birdie range. Although, in blustery conditions like these, is any putt really that comfortable?...

WOAD EVEN FOR THE DAY

Earlier, English amateur Lottie Woad made a super start via a birdie at the first. Since then, she has dropped a shot so remains level for the day and five strokes back of the leader.

LEADING PAIR IN FOR PAR

Shin's birdie putt was from a little further out than I first thought, perhaps 10 feet, and she has to make do with a par after watching it roll by the left edge. 

Moments later, Lilia Vu gets herself out of a jam by sending a par putt in from an almost identical position after he second shot had found the rough on the back left.

WINDY AT ST ANDREWS

It has been pretty tough all week, weather-wise, and Sunday looks to be no different. Check out this video of Alison Lee popping home her third birdie of the day and just look at how much that flag is whipping around...

KORDA MAKES STEADY START

The World No.1 has opened up with a couple of pars today - much improved from yesterday when she went bogey-bogey. Korda almost drained one from range on the second but it missed by a matter of inches.

JENNY SHIN GENERATES ANOTHER BIRDIE CHANCE

Jenny Shin, already one-under for the day, defies a poor lie in the fairway - where her ball was at the back end of a divot - to shovel a lovely wedge shot into 10 feet. She could move one back very shortly...

But it's not meant to be. A seemingly tame putt misses and a frustrated Jenny Shin trudges away knowing she has missed a good opportunity...

RECORD WINNER'S CHECK

Earlier in the week, the R&A announced a record prize money payout for the 2024 AIG Women's Open. There is a total of $9.5 million on offer and almost $1.5 going to the winner. 

When Jiyai Shin last won, in 2012, the total prize fund was $2.75 million. It has grown considerably since, however.

HULL DROPS A SHOT

The first-round leader has endured a tough weekend, sliding out of contention yesterday and failing to make sufficient ground today. Hull drops a shot at the sixth after taking an unplayable off the tee and narrowly missing with both her approach shot and long-range par attempt.

IT'S ALL GO FOR KO

Lydia Ko is up to five-under after a birdie at four. It never really looked like it was going in, the birdie putt, but her strike was pure and it rolled end over end before dropping in the left edge.

SHIN BOGEYS THREE

The leader is now a co-leader after three-putting at the third. Shin was bold with her first putt and ended up missing a fairly short one for par. Shin tried to be positive but dragged it wide.

Both Jiyai Shin and Lilia Vu are at six-under, one in front of Lydia Ko, Jenny Shin, and Nelly Korda.

JENNY SHIN MAKES A SIX

Shin makes a real mess of the fourth, taking a drop and then missing her short bogey putt. It was always breaking left, but she never gave it a chance off the face. With that, the Korean is one-over for the day and three back from the top two.

CHASER HENSELEIT MAKES BOGEY

Esther Henseleit was one of the players at three-under, until a lengthy attempt at a par save drifted just off target on the fifth. 

SHIN STILL SMILING

There will be no repeat of her mistake at the third. Jiyai Shin tidies up for par on the fourth hole. Not even a little shout from afar could put the 36-year-old off her game. Well done.

CASANDRA ALEXANDER NAILS BIRDIE FROM DOWNTOWN

The South African drains a birdie putt from all of maybe 70 feet! It was miles out. Way downtown, as they say. She is back to two-under for the Championship.

Meanwhile, her playing partner, Mao Saigo, makes her third birdie in four holes and moves up to three-under. The Japanese golfer is now well and truly among the challengers.

PACE OF PLAY ALREADY DRAGGING

Lilia Vu and Jiyai Shin have faced a 20-minute wait to tee off on the par-5 fifth. Both absolutely rifle their drives down the middle, regardless.

The weather conditions out there today are making it really tough to just walk up and hit a shot.

ALEXANDER GATHERING MOMENTUM

Casandra Alexander was four-over through the first five holes back on Thursday. She has just chained together birdies on the par-3 eighth and par-4 ninth and is now in a share of fifth place - three strokes back. You never know...

WOES FOR WOAD

An unlucky tee shot on the par-3 eighth sees Woad find a pot bunker, forcing the amateur to fire out sideways. From there, she managed the best she could but ended up missing with her bogey attempt and it's a double.

While her Open dreams might be fading, Woad has to better +3 if she wants to claim the Smyth Salver. Woad is currently even par for the championship.

KORDA JOINS THE LEAD

Jenny Shin grabs one of the shots she dropped on the fourth right back at the fifth and is into solo fifth.

Meanwhile, her playing partner Korda joins the leaders after her own birdie! 

LEXI THOMPSON FINISHES AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

The American legend, unfortunately, ends her AIG Women's Open with a bogey and appears to have tears in her eyes as she hugs her playing partner and caddie.

That could be the final time we see Thompson at any Major, let alone a Women's Open, after she announced plans to retire from a full professional schedule earlier in the summer. 

Although, the 29-year-old is qualified for two Majors next year and would said she would see how she is feeling mentally in the build-up to next summer before making a decision.

WOAD BOUNCES STRAIGHT BACK

Lottie Woad proves her quality and mental fortitude by rolling in a birdie putt on the ninth and skipping back to one-under. She now has a four-stroke lead in the race for the leading amateur prize.

KORDA SLIPS

Nelly Korda's time at the top of the leaderboard was a brief one, with the American pushing at a short-ish par putt on the sixth and watching it skip on by.

PLAY HEATING UP AS TEMPERATURE DROPS

It looks bitterly cold out on the links at St Andrews this afternoon, but the competition is hotting up, big time. There are seven golfers within two shots of the lead, with our co-leaders ahead of three players by just one.

Everyone is through at least five holes, so there is still some way to go...

WHAT CHAMPIONS DO

Nelly Korda is back among the leaders after confidently striking her birdie putt in on the seventh. The American has gone birdie-bogey-birdie in her past three holes.

Korda, Vu, and Jiyai Shin out in front on six-under after Vu comes up short with her long-range birdie effort on the sixth.

FIRST BIRDIE FROM FINAL GROUP

Jiyai Shin wrestles the solo lead back courtesy of a birdie at seven. The final few holes of the front nine seem to be offering up chances to everyone, while the back nine is playing particularly difficult.

The Korean's tee shot at the par-3 eighth is excellent, too. This could quickly become a two-shot lead for Shin.

KORDA FIGHTS BACK

We have a Major tournament on our hands here! Korda seems to have found her groove with the putter after running a few close by early on and pours in her third birdie in five holes. The American is out in 34 and is at seven-under alongside Shin.

BACK-TO-BACK BIRDIES FOR NELLY

Is the writing on the wall for Korda and Shin? Korda rolls in another of those awkward-length birdie putts and takes the lead on her own. Shin is unlikely to join her again after the howling wind sends her ball a long way left on the ninth green.

SHIN TIDIES UP

Jiyai Shin avoids a potentially-costly bogey on the ninth after her initial lag putt had come up a fair way short. It was an awkward four footer for the Korean, but she exhibited all of her experience to calmly slot it into the hole.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT KO

The New Zealander is not going away and is showing the kind of form that could scare Korda down the back nine. She just missed with a giant putt from range on the 12th but has proved her quality already today with two birdies and no dropped shots.

NO PROBLEMS FOR NELLY

Magic from the leader. Reportedly left with a prime lie in the greenside bunker at number 11, Korda whipped her golf ball out of the sand and trickled it to four or five feet. Par saved. She moves on.

VU STUMBLES

Lilia Vu three-putts at the 10th and drops a shot to fall back to five-under. The American's second effort was really tough, into the wind, and it came agonisingly close to going in.

But no cigar for Lilia Vu and she is now three behind with much of the back nine still to play.

WIND MAKING PLAYERS LOOK FOOLISH

With an energy-sapping gale gusting across the links at St Andrews, Lilia Vu sends her birdie putt on the 11th a good six feet out to the right before it eventually came back well after passing the hole.

Her par putt missed, too, leaving the American with consecutive bogeys on her card. Frustrating times for the World No.2.

Meanwhile, Korda's lead at the top is now two after Jiyai Shin pushes a short putt wide. Shin is now at six-under.

FINAL PAIRING ON THE CLOCK

As the final pair are given an official 'hurry up' by a looming official who is watching the clock, much further forward, Lottie Woad almost drains a putt of over 100 feet as she chases that Smyth Salver. If you asked the Englishwoman, she would probably say her sights are still set on the title, but that seems a little far fetched at this point.

Back in the final group, Lilia Vu goes one better than Woad by sending a huge putt down on the 12th. One of the two recent bogeys is effectively wiped out and Vu goes to five-under - three back.

HERE WE GO, KO

It's another awesome putt from Lydia Ko at the 14th, and the Olympic champion is up to within one with only four holes remaining. Ko has registered three birdies and 11 pars so far today.

NERVES ARE JANGLING

As the leaders reach the final third of their rounds, it does seem like nerves are beginning to play a part. Birdie putts have stopped dropping as frequently as they had recently been doing and drives aren't always hitting the fairway.

Korda was presented with a pretty simple pitch shot into the par-5 14th green from the right rough, but she overdid it and faces a pretty tricky up and down for par.

Meanwhile, up ahead, Lydia Ko makes her first bogey of the day to temporarily open up a two-stroke lead for the World No.1.

KORDA DOUBLE BOGEY 7

Korda's fourth shot didn't make it up the bank and left her with a par chip. That was very close to going in anyway, such is the quality in Korda's hands. 

However, the bogey putt was tame and drifted right of the hole. It's a SEVEN for Korda on the par-5 14th and we now have a three-way tie at the top.

LOTTIE WOAD IS SMYTH SALVER WINNER

Rounds of 72, 70, 72, and 73 mean that English woman Lottie Woad is the Smyth Salver winner at St Andrews. Adding to her English Amateur and Augusta National Women's Amateur title, that is quite the year for the 20-year-old.

FOUR-WAY TIE AT THE TOP

Lilia Vu birdies the 14th and we now have a FOUR-WAY tie for the lead. Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, and Jiyai Shin will duke it out down the closing holes for the AIG Women's Open title.

All former (or current) World No.1s, this is set to be sensational.

WEATHER TAKEN A TURN

Not only is it windy at St Andrews, it's now pouring down in eastern Scotland. Not that it has dampened Lydia Ko's mood, though, with the New Zealander firing a stunning second shot into the 17th. 

She has a birdie chance and could move in front on her own if it drops...

SHIN CARDS COSTLY BOGEY

Oh, Jiyai Shin, what have you done?... The Korean made life really difficult for herself down 16 and ended up compounding the error by three-putting for bogey. The group of leaders is down to three as Ko tees off over the Swilcan Bridge.

KO HAS CHANCE TO HOLD SOLO LEAD

Oh, wow! Lydia Ko is taking this championship by the scruff of the neck! Her approach into the 18th green is like something out of a video game, drifting just past the flag and spinning back to maybe six feet. This is a green-light special for birdie.

Ko could move to seven-under as Korda finds the bunker short and left of the green on 17. She has escaped it but has a tough par save. 

KO HAS CLUBHOUSE LEAD

It always felt like that was going in. Lydia Ko has the clubhouse lead at seven-under after rolling in a beautiful left-to-right slider. This could be an outstanding month for someone who is already among the greats of the women's game. 

KORDA NOW TWO SHOTS OFF

No, no, no. Nelly Korda, you cannot leave putts short at this stage. That could be her Open tilt over. The World No.1 has a tricky 10-12 foot putt for par, but she never gave it enough gas. What made it worse was that the ball was right on line. That will be heart-breaking for her.

KORDA ENDS WITH A PAR

Korda had to eagle out on 18 to reach a playoff, but her approach was far too long. The birdie putt itself was actually very close to dropping, but even that just came up short.

All of that happened after Korda had chosen to walk around the Swilcan Bridge rather than wandering over it. She, understandably, looks dejected after what occurred down the back nine.

VU GIVES HERSELF A CHANCE

Jiyai Shin will almost certainly come up short today, but she still appears to be having a brilliant time out there. You have to respect her outlook. After hacking her golf ball out of the right rough down 17 to leave a tricky par putt, Shin smiles along with her caddie and pops a windbreak jacket back on ahead of her fourth shot. That misses, and it's a bogey for Shin. She's back to four-under and in solo fifth, the overnight leader.

I should also point out, the weather has turned in a much more positive direction in the last few holes. It's now bright, although the wind is still fresh. It's not as stiff, though.

Meanwhile, Vu just about sneaks her par putt in after gaining a nice read from Shin's longer effort.

The equation is now simple for Vu. Birdie or bust.

VU HAMMERS DRIVE BEFORE MUST-MAKE BIRDIE

Well, hang on. Lilia Vu has absolutely pumped her drive down 18, and it took a monstrous bounce off the road. She has what appears to be a pretty close pitch shot into the back-left pin location.

I'd say the odds of a playoff just dropped a touch.

VU PITCH

Mmm, that wasn't as close as it could have been from there, but - given the circumstances - you could forgive Vu. 

Her birdie putt is very much left to right and downhill. As far as distance, let's say 15 feet. Not easy at all.

One putt for a playoff. Otherwise, Lydia Ko is the 2024 AIG Women's Open champion.

LYDIA KO WINS 2024 AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

Vu's putt is short by a couple of feet, and that makes Lydio Ko the champion! 

The American, whose brain was a little scrambled by that miss, also fails with her par putt and finishes up with a bogey to make Ko the winner by two strokes.