9 Perks Of Winning The AIG Women’s Open

The final women’s Major Championship of the season, the AIG Women's Open, is taking place at Royal Porthcawl in Wales for the first time.

Through the years, some great players have lifted the trophy, including Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Lorena Ochoa, Inbee Park, and, a year ago, Lydia Ko.

Whichever star has their name etched into the trophy on Sunday will receive many other perks, too. Here are the details.

The Trophy

The AIG Women’s Open trophy was first awarded at the Ricoh Women’s British Open at St Andrews in 2007, and Lorena Ochoa had the honor of being the first to lift it following her four-shot win over Maria Hjorth and Lee Jee-young.

The elegant fluted design with floral pattern was created by Edward Asprey, the master craftsman behind several other glittering golf trophies, including the famous falcon trophy awarded to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner on the DP World Tour.

Prize Money

The R&A upped the AIG Women's Open prize money to a huge $9.75m this year, up from $9.5m in 2024.

The champion is set to win $1,462,500, an increase of $12,5000 on the money Lydia Ko banked for her win at the Old Course, St Andrews, last year.

Open Exemption 

One of the most meaningful perks of winning the AIG Women’s Open is that it helps the winner plan for the future.

Champions are exempt into the AIG Women’s Open until they are 60-years-old, provided they are still an active member of a recognised professional tour.

That takes away any concerns over how to qualify again in one fell swoop, and they can begin dreaming about the 2026 edition at Royal Lytham & St Annes a year in advance.

Other Major exemptions

It's not just future editions of the AIG Women's Open the winner can look forward to.

She will also book her place in the other four Majors - the Chevron Championship, KPMG Women's PGA Championship, US Women's Open and Amundi Evian Championship - for the next five years.

Race To The CME Globe Points

Most LPGA Tour events hand the winner 500 Race to the CME Globe points, but that's increased by 30% for the five Majors, meaning the winner of the AIG Women's Open picks up 650 points.

Double Solheim Cup points

The qualification period for the 2026 Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands began last year, and Majors offer double the number of points of regular events.

That means USA and European players can make big moves towards securing their spot on the teams with victory at Royal Porthcawl.

LPGA Membership

Non-LPGA Tour member winners of the AIG Women's Open receive five-year exemptions to the circuit, which is potentially career-defining and opens the door to a host of events with eye-catching prize money.

Rolex ANNIKA Major Award Points 

The Rolex ANNIKA Major Award was established in 2014 to recognize the player who, during a current LPGA Tour season, has the most outstanding Major record.

Players are only eligible for the award if they win a Major, and it's those who finish in the top 10 and ties at all five Majors who pick up points.

The points available from each Major are as follows:

• 1st place - 60 pts
• 2nd place - 24 pts
• 3rd place - 18 pts
• 4th place - 14 pts
• 5th place - 12 pts
• 6th place - 10 pts
• 7th place - 8 pts
• 8th place - 6 pts
• 9th place - 4 pts
• 10th place - 2 pts

LPGA Hall Of Fame Points

When a player wins a Major, they tick off a big box towards entering the LPGA Hall of Fame.

While winning a regular LPGA Tour event offers one point towards the 27 needed to gain entry, each Major hands the winner two.

Lydia Ko made it to the Hall of Fame a year ago, but by the time she won the AIG Women's Open, she had already secured her place in it thanks to her Olympic gold medal, which gave her the last remaining point she needed to qualify.