LYTHAM & ST. ANNES, England — Haeran Ryu began her bid for a third straight major victory with a fantastic opening round at the AIG Women’s British Open, upstaging playing partners Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko.
Coming off victories at the Women’s PGA Championship and Evian Championship, Ryu carded a five-under-par 66 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes to take the early lead over American Yealimi Noh (67).
“Yeah, my golf is pretty good,” Ryu said.
You don’t say.
Ryu went out in 31 with four birdies. She bounced back from a bogey at 15 with birdies at 16 and 18 to sign for a 66.
Seeking her third major in a row, Haeran Ryu has made a fast start to the 2026 AIG Women’s Open 👀
Three birdies in her opening six holes see her tied for the lead. pic.twitter.com/2FnYWfd9PH
— AIG Women’s Open (@AIGWomensOpen) July 30, 2026
Ryu and Korda have accounted for the first four major wins of 2026 with Korda claiming the Chevron and U.S. Women’s Open.
“Could honestly be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” said Ko of Korda and Ryu’s major form.
Playing with Ryu, World No.1 Korda shot 73 and Ko, the 2024 Women’s British winner, signed for an even-par 71.
Ryu is seeking to become just the fifth player in LPGA history to win three straight majors, and first since Inbee Park in 2013.
She broke through the major championship barrier at the Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine before the Evian win, where she shot 60, the lowest round in my championship history, en route to beating Brooke Henderson in a playoff.
“Before I got the major win it was so much pressure and I just for sure want to get win in a major,” Ryu said.
Ryu is trying to cash in on the fact she is in a rich vein of form and that there are three LPGA majors in six weeks.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com