The AIG Women’s Open, one of the five major championships in women’s golf, is currently underway at the iconic Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Wales. This is the 49th edition of the prestigious event, and this year is the first time it is being staged in Wales. Last year, it was hosted at the iconic St.Andrews, where Lydia Ko earned her third major title of her career. This year’s edition features a stacked field, with rookies like Lottie Woad among established names such as Nelly Korda and Minjee Lee, all eyeing the coveted title.
The first round concluded on Thursday, and the top of the leaderboard is quite a sight to see. There’s a strong Japanese presence atop the leaderboard, with all the top six players being from Japan, with Eri Okayama leading at 5-under par. While Nelly Korda is three shots behind and is tied at 14th, Lydia Ko continues to struggle with her form as she carded one-over for the day. But what’s making headlines beyond the competition, however, is the tournament’s record purse.
The AIG Women’s Open has increased its total prize money to $9.75 million, up from $9.5 million last year, marking a $250,000 boost. This milestone continues a five-year trend of consistent increases in prize money, which was $9 million in 2023, $7.3 million in 2022, and just $4.5 million in 2020 and 2019, when the R&A and AIG first partnered to elevate the women’s game. The purse has more than doubled since 2018, when it stood at $3.25 million. This upward trend reflects a broader commitment across women’s golf to close the pay gap and elevate the sport.
Compared to other LPGA majors in 2025, the AIG Women’s Open stands third in payouts. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open both lead with $12 million purses, while the Chevron Championship and the Evian Championship offer $8 million.
This year’s winner at Royal Porthcawl will walk away with an unprecedented $1.4 million, the largest champion’s payout in the event’s 49-year history. The 2025 payout structure is notably deep, with the runner-up earning $962,424 and third place receiving $697,059. Players finishing in the top ten are all guaranteed over $210,000, and those making the cut are assured at least $22,410, with earnings tapering down to $11,300 for 76th place. Even players who miss the cut will collect $4,250—a nod to the growing financial support for players across the board.
Let’s take a look at the prize money breakdown:
Position
Prize Money
1
$1,462,500
2
$962,424
3
$697,059
4
$538,313
5
$432,493
6
$353,120
7
$294,915
8
$257,879
9
$231,421
10
$210,253
11
$194,374
12
$181,145
13
$169,504
14
$158,925
15
$149,398
16
$140,933
17
$133,530
18
$127,178
19
$121,889
20
$117,651
21
$113,424
22
$109,186
23
$104,958
24
$100,721
25
$97,019
26
$93,318
27
$89,695
28
$85,904
29
$82,202
30
$79,027
31
$75,851
32
$72,675
33
$69,499
34
$66,324
35
$63,684
36
$61,034
37
$58,395
38
$55,745
39
$53,095
40
$50,981
41
$48,867
42
$46,754
43
$44,630
44
$42,516
45
$40,928
46
$39,340
47
$37,752
48
$36,164
49
$34,576
50
$32,989
51
$31,937
52
$30,875
53
$29,813
54
$28,761
55
$27,699
56
$26,637
57
$25,586
58
$24,523
59
$23,472
60
$22,410
61
$21,884
62
$21,348
63
$20,822
64
$20,296
65
$19,760
66
$19,234
67
$18,708
68
$18,172
69
$17,646
70
$17,120
71
$12,777
72
$12,482
73
$12,186
74
$11,891
75
$11,595
76
$11,300
Now that we have the prize money out of the way, let’s dive into what the cut line may look like this year based on assumptions from the past.
How Royal Porthcawl Could Raise the Bar at the 2025 AIG Women’s Open
With a record-breaking prize purse, the stakes are at an all-time high at the AIG Women’s Open in 2025. And with notorious links conditions at Royal Porthcawl this year, players may face a stiffer challenge than usual to make it to the weekend. The cut line at the Women’s Open typically falls around the 3-over to 5-over par range, as we witnessed in the past two years. In 2023 at Walton Heath, the cut line was at 3-over par, reflecting relatively tame conditions and a course more familiar to many players. Last year at the Old Course at St. Andrews, the cut went at 4-over par, again showing how course setup and weather can dictate scoring margins.
Six players. One nation
A strong Japanese presence at the top of the leaderboard after round one pic.twitter.com/uS5SJgQxfV
— AIG Women’s Open (@AIGWomensOpen) July 31, 2025
At Royal Porthcawl this year, with the added pressure of the season’s final major and a deep, competitive field, the cut could edge slightly higher than in recent years. Currently, players hovering around the cut-line mark after the opening round are placed at a one-over par score. But if the weather turns particularly harsh, as it often can in Wales, we could expect a cut similar to last year or probably even higher, up to 5-over par. It might not be realistic to predict the cutline going beyond this number, and reaching 10-0ver, as we witnessed at Royal Troon in 2020.
If gusty winds and firm greens prevail, we could see fewer players under par and a more forgiving cut line in terms of score, though still highly competitive given the strength of the field.
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