AIG Women's Open Leaderboard: Shiho Kuwaki And Esther Henseleit Share The Lead As Chasing Pack Struggle

WOAD FINISHES UP HER ROUND

Woad cards a two-over-par 73 final round and finishes at one-under-par.

She is alongside Hull and three other names at one-under, with the Englishwoman currently in a share of seventh spot.

SAFE DRIVE FROM KUWAKI

The Japanese star narrowly finds the right rough with her tee shot at the 72nd hole, but does have a clear line into the green.

HOW HENSELEIT JOINED THE LEAD

GREAT EFFORT

Her putting has been excellent today and, at the par 4 17th, Kuwaki narrowly misses her lengthy birdie attempt, with a simple par keeping her five-under.

A few holes back, Henseleit goes left with her tee shot at the 16th, but hasn't found any bunkers, while Noh is in the center of the fairway.

HENSELEIT JOINS THE LEAD

Her excellent approach is rewarded by a simple birdie putt at the 15th, with the German moving to five-under and alongside Kuwaki, who has found the green at the par 4 17th.

HULL FINISHES UP

It's a one-over-par final round for Hull, who finishes one-under for the championship and in a share of seventh.

Alongside Hull, Lydia Ko birdies the last and finishes two-over-par, with a 74 putting her T20th.

WHAT A SHOT FROM THE GERMAN

Wow, that was close from Henseleit at the 15th!

Playing her approach, the German's second brushes the hole on its way by and she will have a great look at birdie coming up to move to five-under.

Noh, meanwhile, plays a decent approach into the green, leaving 25-feet for birdie.

LI STILL STRUGGLES

She started so well, but Li has made back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th to drop to three-over for the day and one-under for the championship.

KORDA SETS THE TARGET

LEADERS MAKING MOVES

Both Henseleit and Noh find the fairway at the 15th, while Kuwaki safely pars the same hole to remain one clear at five-under.

KUWAKI LEADS (AGAIN)

Maybe I spoke too soon - it wouldn't be the first time. Yealimi Noh pulls her three-foot par putt and she suffers yet another bogey at the 14th. Henseleit and Noh, who make up the final pairing, are both on four-under now and a shot back of the lead.

KUWAKI ESCAPES

That is a lovely bunker shot from Kuwaki, brushing her ball towards the flag and watching it roll out to tidy-up range. And there's a change at the top once again...

AGGRESSIVE PUTTS

Looking to re-take the lead, Noh makes a run at the flag on the 14th with her birdie try. It's good for line, but the power is a touch aggressive. It shouldn't be a problem for par, though.

Her playing partner, Henseleit, also leaves nothing in the tank but will walk away with par.

STANDOUT PLAYER

Shiho Kuwaki is the only player in the last eight groups under par for the day. That is telling.

But the Japanese player has found the front-left greenside bunker at the 16th despite only have 130 yards in.

CONTRASTING FORTUNES IN FINAL GROUP

Noh has 179 yards into the green at the par-4 14th and she takes 6-iron. Even with the wind hurting at about 12mph, Noh's ball lands pin-high but bounces on through the putting surface and she'll have a tough up-and-down ahead.

Meanwhile, Henseleit has another chance to draw level from mid-range after she drops her ball in from slightly closer range.

WIDE RIGHT

Kuwaki drops a lovely approach into the 15th hole and has maybe 15 feet left for birdie. But the Japanese pro just misreads the effort slightly and it misses. Not by much though.

Kuwaki stands on the 16th tee knowing she is maybe three holes away from glory. But her drive sails into the right rough, so a birdie chance might be out of the question on this hole...

NOH RESPONDS

We have a share at the top once again! Yealimi Noh recalibrated at the 13th and just about manages to send her birdie putt into the right side of the hole. It threatened to stay above ground, but the ball toppled in and Noh is back to five-under.

HENSELEIT MAKING A RUN

Henseleit was hitting some really poor putts earlier on, but she's finally found her groove. This one didn't drop, but the lag putt almost made its way into the hole. With some confidence in the putter, this title could yet be the Germans...

WAYWARD WOAD

At the 15th hole, Lottie Woad has a long-range putt for birdie. It sweeps sharply from left to right at the end, but it wasn't good for either line or pace. She will hopefully tap in for par, but that wasn't quite her best.

CLUTCH TWO PUTT

Kuwaki lag putts her way off the 14th to perfection. That first effort gave her maybe two feet at most and she tidies up with the minimum of fuss. Five-under leads still.

THITIKUL BIRDIE

The former World No.1 makes a gain at the par-4 13th to repair some of the damage she's caused today. Thitikul is two-over for the day but two-under for the championship in a tie for sixth.

KUWAKI GOES DEEP

The new leader sends her approach into the par-4 14th towards the back portion and she'll simply try and two-putt to retain her position at the top. Kuwaki has won a Major on the JLPGA Tour in her career, but this one would certainly top that.

CRUCIAL THREE-PUTT

It's a three putt for Noh and Kuwaki now leads. The American's putt was always drifting right and that's where it stayed. Noh was leading by three on the front nine. She's now one back.

HENSELEIT WITHIN ONE

Here comes Esther Henseleit! The German rolls in a lovely 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 12th and she's now within one. She could very shortly be tied with Noh...

POOR PUTT

Noh practices a big old swing of her broom-handle putter at the 12th as she aims well left of the target. She slightly pushes her ball in terms of line and also hammers it past the hole. That will be a really awkward one coming back, I feel.

MISTAKES MISTAKES

Oh no, Hsu. What have you done? She needed to go backwards out of the fairway bunker but completely fluffed her lines and the ball barely made it out before rolling back in.

The pro from Chinese Taipei advanced it forward with her third, but she's now looking at a first dropped shot of the day at such a crucial juncture.

Meanwhile, Noh leaves her tee shot into the par-3 12th very short and is in danger of three-putting...

KUWAKI INTO A SHARE

Japanese talent Shiho Kuwaki has been really quiet over the past half an hour or so, but she's making some noise now alright. The woman with the loud clothing rolls in a birdie putt at the 13th to reach five-under. For the first time today, Noh has company at the top.

HSU IN THE SAND

One of many chasers, Hsu, finds one of the left fairway bunkers off the 18th tee. That all but rules out four-under for her.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Noh navigates her way down the par-5 11th safely and gives herself a decent look at birdie, but the ball wiggles its way past the hole on the left side and she smiles wryly after the fact.

Meanwhile, Esther Henseleit - who has not putted well at all - makes the final group's third collective birdie of the day. She's up to three-under and within two...

KORDA FINISHES WITH A FLOURISH

Nelly Korda holes a long putt at the 18th to reach two-under and set the clubhouse target. That's almost certainly about to be usurped, but it's a decent week nonetheless.

Korda's dismissive kind of wave at the ball once it dropped tells me she thinks it was very much too little, too late, however.

HSU TO SET TARGET

Wei-Ling Hsu makes a gutsy par at the 17th and goes down 18 with a chance to set the clubhouse target at four-under with a good drive. She's currently three-under and playing well.

HOW IS YOUR LUCK?

That could be the sort of break Noh needs to regain some momentum. At the 11th, her drive was pulled towards the two fairway bunkers, but the ball just landed past them and bounced on and right back towards the fairway. It's still in the rough, but she can advance it at least.

HULL LIP-OUT

A great drive wasn't rewarded with the best approach from Hull at the 14th and she had a 25-footer for birdie. It looked pretty good en route, but no cigar in the end as it lipped out.

At one-under, Hull needs to find some gains right now or she will head to Royal St George's next year wondering what might have been.

NOH GOOD

The leader sends her putt towards the hole with an ideal weight behind it, but the direction isn't quite there and it'll be a par. Five-under through 11.

LI WITHIN TWO

With the leader at five-under and leaking oil, anyone under par will feel they have a chance to strike yet. Lucy Li, as baby-faced as she might be, is a killer in these situations. She proves it by rolling home a birdie at the 11th to reach three-under. Noh is at five-under with a birdie to come.

CHANCE FOR NOH

A very strong drive down the 10th has left 125 yards in for Noh. A committed nine-iron later and it's a decent look at birdie for the American. Maybe 15 feet. It could be just what she needs.

WOAD PARS 12

With Noh scrambling at the moment, Lottie Woad simply has to remain close to give herself a chance coming home. The English star escapes with par at the 12th and has a chance up coming. Will the 13th be lucky?

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the 2026 AIG Women's Open final round. Yealimi Noh is the current leader, but the American suffered consecutive bogeys towards the end of the front nine and her lead is now just a single stroke when it was three not too long ago.

The 25-year-old, who hadn't broken par in a single LPGA stroke play event since April prior to this week, remains best placed to lift the biggest title of her career, however. Can she hang on? Let's find out together. Thanks for tuning in!