The world’s best golfers will meet this year at Walton Heath Golf Club, one of the most historical clubs in the sport of golf, to compete for the title of AIG Women’s Open champion. The trophy will be handed to the woman who masters the course in this fifth and final major of the 2023 LPGA Tour season organized by the R&A.
For the first time, players will experience the nature-filled course in Surrey, England that features three par 3s and twelve par 4s. Looking past the beauty of the course and the overall excitement of a major golf tournament lies the numbers of a champion. Let’s look at the statistics that should help to predict an overall winner this week.
Since 2001, the scoring average for all champions was below 70 with 80% of their rounds being under par. There have been nine total rounds of 65 or better from the past champions and six of those have been recorded since 2015. Ashleigh Buhai is the only winner to record two rounds of 65 or better in this major championship. The average score to par of the past AIG Women’s Open champions is 12-under.
| Past Major Champions | |
|---|---|
| AIG Women's Open Since 2001 | |
| Scoring Average | 69.011 |
| Sub-Par Rounds | 70 of 88 (80%) |
| Average Score to Par | -12 |
The last three AIG Women’s Open champions ranked at the top of the field in greens in regulation with the last five winners ranked in the top 25. Analyzing the statistic, the last five champions hit an average of 57 greens to successfully capture the trophy. As a standout last year, Buhai recorded 17 birdies or better which ranked third in the field and her scoring average on the par-3 and par-4 holes was ranked within the top five in the field.
| Greens in Regulation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Last Five Champions of AIG Women's Open | ||
| GIR | Rank | |
| 2018 Georgia Hall | 52: 72.22% | T25 |
| 2019 Hinako Shibuno | 60: 83.33% | T7 |
| 2020 Sophia Popov | 56: 77.78% | 1 |
| 2021 Anna Nordqvist | 57: 79.17% | T2 |
| 2022 Ashleigh Buhai | 58: 80.56% | T2 |
According to KPMG Performance Insights, Buhai won with 73% of total strokes gained coming from approach shots and putting performance. She made 20 of 25 putts from five to ten feet and missed only one putt inside five feet, an outstanding putting performance from the South African.
| Ashleigh Buhai Strokes Gained Statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 AIG Women's Open at Muirfield | ||
| Average | % of Strokes | |
| Off the Tee | 1.49 | 9% |
| Approach | 4.14 | 26% |
| Around the Green | 2.10 | 13% |
| Putting | 7.43 | 47% |
In this year’s competition, the field of players will need both unwavering concentration and masterful technique to win. As the tournament unfolds, the statistical significance of their skill set will determine their chance for victory.
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