SEASON’S FINAL MAJOR UP FOR GRABS AT WOBURN GOLF CLUB

 Nineteen of the top 20 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings have made their way to Woburn, led by newly minted Rolex Rankings No. 1 and last week’s Evian Championship winner Jin Young Ko. In April, Ko claimed the ANA Inspiration, and this week she hopes to become the fifth player to win three majors in a single year and first since Inbee Park in 2013.

Host country England has its hopes pinned on defending champion Georgia Hall, who won last year at Royal Lytham and St Annes and looks to become the first successful title defender since Yani Tseng in 2010 and 2011. Hall is one of 14 Englishwomen in the field, a list that includes Dame Laura Davies, playing in her 39th AIG Women’s British Open, Woburn member Charley Hull and 2019 LPGA Tour winner Bronte Law.

This week’s championship will decide the 2019 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award (RAMA), which is bestowed upon the player with the season’s most outstanding major championship performance. Three players have captured the season’s four major championships thus far – Hannah Green (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), Jin Young Ko (ANA Inspiration and Evian Championship) and Jeongeun Lee6 (U.S. Women’s Open). Past winners are Michelle Wie (2014), Inbee Park (2015), Lydia Ko (2016), So Yeon Ryu (2017) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2018).

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE AIG WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN

• Since 2001, the AIG Women’s British Open has been a major on the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour
• Prior to 2001, the tournament was a co-sanctioned LPGA Tour/Ladies European Tour event from 1994-2000 and was first conducted in 1976
• This is the second time that the Marquess Course at Woburn Golf Club has hosted the championship since it was elevated to major status; Ariya Jutanugarn won the 2016 championship by three strokes over Mo Martin and Mirim Lee
• Woburn also hosted the championship in 1984, from 1990 to 1996 and in 1999, all on the Duke’s Course
• Since becoming a major, four Europeans have claimed victory – Annika Sorenstam in 2003 (Royal Lytham and St Annes), Karen Stupples in 2004 (Sunningdale), Catriona Matthew in 2009 (Royal Lytham and St Annes) and Georgia Hall in 2018 (Royal Lytham and St Annes)

GEORGIA HALL SET FOR TITLE DEFENSE IN HOME COUNTRY

This week in Milton Keynes, Englishwoman Georgia Hall returns to the event that brought her fame and recognition throughout her home country just one year ago. As an LPGA rookie in 2018, Hall carded a final round 5-under 67 to win the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes for her first Tour victory. She became the fourth Englishwoman to win the championship and first since Karen Stupples in 2004.

“I don't feel any pressure,” said Hall of defending her title at Woburn Golf Club this week. “It's really nice for me to be home because I've been in the US the whole year. So to me, I've done the hard travelling and now I can enjoy being at home with a home crowd. It's really nice and I think I'm going to get a lot of support, so I look forward to people out there kind of watching me and cheering me on.”

Hall’s best result of the 2019 season came in the form of a ninth-place finish at the inaugural Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January, her only top-10 finish of the year. Hall’s second-best finish was at the third major of the year, a tie for 26th at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

After her breakthrough win last year, Hall said she started to be too technical with her swing and has turned her focus on simplifying things this week.

“Trying to think as least as possible, really, about my swing,” she said. I got a bit too technical which isn't me at all. I was trying to perfect things too much when my swing's, I think, good on its own. I was trying to be too picky. Just going out there and trying to play golf and not think about a perfect golf shot.”

Hall’s dad, Wayne, is on the bag this week as he has been for all six of her Women’s British Open appearances. Hall will begin her title defense at 12:16 p.m. on Thursday alongside Brooke Henderson and Mamiko Higa.

WORLD NO. 1 JIN YOUNG KO PREPPED FOR THIRD MAJOR VICTORY

It’s quite possible that Jin Young Ko has not stopped smiling since she struck the winning putt at last week’s Evian Championship in France. That victory, her third of 2019 and second major title, propelled her back to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, a position she held from April 8 to June 30 following her major victory at the ANA Inspiration. Only four players have won three majors in a single season and all of them are members of the LPGA Hall of Fame – Inbee Park (2013), Pat Bradley (1986),Mickey Wright (1961) and Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1950).

“Especially majors, straight two wins, or three wins of the year, is really tough,” said Ko, who celebrated her Evian victory with a glamorous dinner of a cheeseburger and a beer at her hotel. “I have a chance this week.”

This marks Ko’s third appearance in the AIG Women’s British Open, with two very disparate finishes. She finished second at the 2015 championship held at Trump Turnberry’s Ailsa Course as a member of the KLPGA Tour, heralding her breakthrough appearance on the international golf stage. Jump ahead three years and Ko missed the cut in 2018 at Royal Lytham and St Annes, her only missed cut of the season.

Tuesday afternoon’s practice round marked Ko’s first time laying eyes on Woburn’s parkland layout. She will depend closely on the expertise of her caddie David Brooker, who has looped for such names as Lorena Ochoa, Grace Park and Paula Creamer. With Brooker’s guidance, Ko said she’s “not afraid” as she heads toward potential major glory.

“My caddie walked the course this morning, so he said the fairways look narrow and many trees,” said Ko. “A little bit many doglegs, so you need straight tee shot and then a little bit make the iron shot, and still keeping to your putting feeling.”

Ko will play the first round alongside No. 10 Nelly Korda and No. 26 Ai Suzuki, teeing off at 12:38 p.m.

BRONTE LAW LOOKING FOR MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH

At No. 22 in the Rolex Rankings, Bronte Law is the highest-ranked player from England in this week’s AIG Women’s British Open field. In just her third year on Tour, Law became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2019 Pure Silk Championship in May and enters this week as one of the English favorites. At last week’s Evian Championship, Law tied for 22nd and on Tuesday at Woburn Golf Club, she said she was happy to have the majors back-to-back so she can continue her solid play.

“Obviously played last week, played some really good golf, and the fact that it's back-to back majors for me, I think is going to be beneficial because I'm very pleased with how I'm hitting the ball and can kind of carry that momentum into this week,” said Law, who is making her fourth Women’s British Open appearance. “If you're not playing well, then yeah, it might be an issue because you haven't had much time to work on your game. There's nothing really that I'm worried about for this week. So actually the fact that it is a quick turnaround, I think is something that is good.”

With just two qualifying events left for the European Solheim Cup Team, Law is hoping to make a statement at this week’s AIG Women’s British Open.

“Obviously major last week, major this week, just going out there and playing my best. Hopefully I can follow Georgia's footsteps of last year. But yeah, until the team is picked, I have to prove myself every week,” said Law, who must rely on a captain’s pick to make her first Solheim Cup Team.

European Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew will get an up-close look at Law this week as they’ll play the first two rounds alongside Cristie Kerr, teeing off at 11:54 p.m. Thursday.

NELLY KORDA LIKES WHAT SHE SEES AT WOBURN

Two-time LPGA winner Nelly Korda is making her 19th career start in a major at this week’s AIG Women’s British Open and finally feels comfortable with the pressure that comes along with a major championship.

In June, Korda made a late push on Sunday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to finish T3 and pick up her first top-five finish in a major. On Tuesday in advance of her third career start at the AIG Women’s British Open, Korda said she hopes to draw from experiences like those at Hazeltine National at this final major of the year.

“Obviously I started kind of playing golf because I wanted to win major championships,” said Korda. “I feel like the more experience I get and the more I'm in contention, the more under pressure I am in these situations, the more I learn; the more I grow as a player.”

With a quick 12 holes of practice under her belt on Tuesday, Korda came off the course feeling like Woburn Golf Club is suited well for her game.

“The conditions on the golf course are I think one of the best we've played this year,” she said. “I think it's going to be a really solid week. I've never played out here, but I've heard from multiple players that it's playing a lot longer than it's played in the past. I think it's going to be a good, challenging week.”

Rolex Rankings No. 10 Korda will play the first round alongside No. 1 Jin Young Ko and No. 26 Ai Suzuki at 12:38 p.m. on Thursday.

NOTABLE FIRST-ROUND GROUPINGS (all times BST, five hours ahead of EDT)

Georgia Hall begins her title defense at 12:16 p.m., playing alongside Brooke Henderson and Mamiko Higa

Newly minted Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko begins her attempt for a third major title of 2019 at 12:38 p.m. with Ai Suzuki and Nelly Korda

Laura Davies kicks off her 39th AIG Women’s British Open appearance at 6:52 a.m., playing with 2017 champion In-Kyung Kim and Celine Herbin

WEEK TWO OF BACK-TO-BACK MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The AIG Women’s British Open is the second of two consecutive majors on the LPGA Tour, following last week’s Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bain, France. While this is a rare phenomenon, it is not the first time majors have been held in consecutive weeks. In 1952 and 1953, the Women's Western Open (no longer a major) and the U.S. Women's Open were played in consecutive weeks. In 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960, the Women's Western Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship were played in consecutive weeks. In 1955, the Women's Western Open, U.S. Women's Open and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship were played three in a row, but with an off week between the U.S. Women's Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

There are several other times when majors were played consecutively, but with at least one off-week between them. Most recently, the 2011 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, won by Yani Tseng, and the U.S. Women's Open, won by So Yeon Ryu, were played back to back, but with an off week between them.

RACE TO THE CME GLOBE UPDATE

Heading into the 22nd week of the 2019 Race to the GME Globe, three-time winner Jin Young Ko, coming off her second major win of the year at last week’s Evian Championship, leads the standings with 3,199 points. She holds a commanding lead over Brooke Henderson, who sits second with 2,190 points. Henderson is just 10 points ahead of Sung Hyun Park (2,180 points), with Minjee Lee (2,091 points) and Lexi Thompson (2,056 points) rounding out the top five.

The 2019 season brings a fresh face to the Race to the CME Globe. LPGA Members will accumulate points at each official LPGA Tour event leading up to the CME Group Tour Championship. The top 60 points earners and ties will then earn a spot in the CME Group Tour Championship, with the entire field competing for the $5 million purse and the $1.5 million winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf.