Ryu Hae‑ran Leads 2026 AIG Women’s Open After Two Rounds
South Korea’s Ryu Hae‑ran held a one‑stroke lead at the halfway point of the 2026 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, carding rounds of 66 and 69 to sit at seven‑under par. Ryu is attempting a third consecutive major victory after winning the Women’s PGA Championship and the Evian Championship earlier in the year.
Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki was one shot behind at six‑under, while Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul and United States’ Yealimi Noh were tied for third at five‑under. Germany’s Esther Henseleit posted a 67 on the third day to move into solo second place, three strokes off the lead. Defending champion Miyu Yamashita missed the cut after a second‑round 77.
Later in the third round, Noh surged ahead as Ryu faltered, giving the American a three‑stroke lead heading into the final day.
Entities: AIG Women’s Open · Esther Henseleit · Haeran Ryu · Jeeno Thitikul · Lottie Woad · Lydia Ko · Miyu Yamashita · Nelly Korda · Royal Lytham & St Annes · Ryu Hae‑ran · Shiho Kuwaki · Yealimi Noh
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 14 SOURCES] Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and Yealimi Noh of the United States are tied for third at five under. (Thitikul and Noh tied for third at -5)
- [● 13 SOURCES] World number one Nelly Korda shot a six‑birdie 68, one under par. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 13 SOURCES] The second round featured extremely slow play, with afternoon groups taking well over five hours. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 16 SOURCES] Haeran Ryu posted a two‑under 69 in the second round, moving to seven‑under total and taking a one‑shot lead after two rounds. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 11 SOURCES] England’s Lottie Woad recorded a level‑par 71, five shots behind Ryu. (England’s Lottie Woad recorded a level‑par 71, five shots behind Ryu.)
- [● 11 SOURCES] Shiho Kuwaki shot a one‑under 70, one shot behind Ryu. (Shiho Kuwaki shot a one‑under 70, one shot behind Ryu.)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Defending champion Miyu Yamashita missed the cut after a second-round 77. (Yamashita missed cut with 77)
- [● 12 SOURCES] Ryu is attempting a third consecutive major win. (Ryu seeks a third straight major)
- [● 3 SOURCES] World number one Nelly Korda shot a 68 and is at one under par. (e22c5b61-2a08-42db-929c-fda37f19dbc5, 319523aa-b84f-4c76-a1ba-143b23434267, 239a1855-5fa8-4562-ac45-1369f320f754)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Haeran Ryu leads the 2026 AIG Women’s Open after two rounds with a total score of seven under par. (Ryu leads after two rounds at -7)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Ryu posted a six‑under 66 in round one and a two‑under 69 in round two. (e22c5b61-2a08-42db-929c-fda37f19dbc5, 319523aa-b84f-4c76-a1ba-143b23434267, 239a1855-5fa8-4562-ac45-1369f320f754)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Shiho Kuwaki of Japan is one shot behind Ryu at six under par. (e22c5b61-2a08-42db-929c-fda37f19dbc5, 319523aa-b84f-4c76-a1ba-143b23434267, 239a1855-5fa8-4562-ac45-1369f320f754)