7 Big Names Missing The 2024 AIG Women's Open
Several Olympic and Solheim Cup stars will not feature in the final women's Major of the season after the field was confirmed following Open qualifying on Monday
Final Qualifying for the AIG Women's Open took place at Crail Golfing Society on Monday, with 12 players out of 92 entrants making it through to tee it up at St Andrews on Thursday as the last Major of the year takes place.
Five-time China LPGA Tour winner Weiwei Zhang topped the leaderboard on five-under to land a maiden Major appearance, while big names such as Lauren Hartlage and Jodi Ewart Shadoff also did enough after 18 holes.
Shadoff was one of the three golfers to make it into the AIG Women's Open field via a playoff against 11 others, with Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow and Finland's Ursula Wikstrom joining her.
Otherwise, a handful of star faces have either been left waiting to discover their fate on the reserve list or confirmed as missing out on St Andrews. A handful of others may well have succumbed to untimely injuries.
Below are seven big names who missed out on a place at the 2024 AIG Women's Open.
Caroline Hedwall (-1) Reserve
The Swede is a seven-time LET winner and featured for Team Europe in the 2023 Solheim Cup - as well as four others before that - but she will have a nervous wait to find out if there will be a tee time at St Andrews with her name next to it this week.
Hedwall is the first reserve after falling short in the playoff so may well feel hopeful of a start, regardless.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Pia Babnik (E)
Babnik competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and finished 22nd, continuing her rise towards the top of the game, but the 20-year-old won't feature at the AIG Women's Open.
The Slovenian golfer carded an even-par round of 72 in Final Qualifying and will return to focus on the Ladies European Tour season, where she is a two-time winner.
Caroline Masson (+3)
Masson is a four-time Solheim Cup player with a victory apiece on both the LPGA Tour and LET, but she missed out on qualifying for the AIG Women's Open after shooting three-over at Crail Golfing Society on Monday.
The German - who turned pro in 2009 - is now ranked World No.338 and missed the cut in three of the four Majors this season.
Bianca Pagdanganan (+5)
Pagdanganan is another Paris Olympian who fell short in her quest to play in the latest big-time championship. She has a best result of T9 at a Major (the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship) but is yet to play an AIG Women's Open.
The Filipino endured a tough afternoon in Scotland on Monday and shot 77 to comfortably miss out on the chance of featuring at St Andrews.
Danielle Kang (+6)
Kang proved that no matter your name or what you have achieved in the past, all that matters is what happens on the day. Kang failed to make it through Final Qualifying on Monday after carding a disappointing 78.
The 2017 KPMG Women's PGA Championship winner and six-time LPGA Tour champion has played at the four most-recent Solheim Cups for Team USA, but her form has been on the slide over the past 12 months and she now sits as World No.140.
In Gee Chun
Chun is a three-time Major champion, having lifted the 2015 US Women's Open, the 2016 Evian Championship, and the 2022 KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
As a recent Major winner, she is exempt into the 2024 AIG Women's Open, but Chun has not played since the US Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club and likely remains injured so is unable to take her place at St Andrews.
Azahara Munoz
Munoz is another player who could well have been ruled out through injury as she did not attempt qualifying. The Spanish golfer did play at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, finishing T13, but missed the cut at her three previous events beforehand.
She has top-20 finishes in all five women's Majors throughout a pro career which began in 2009.
Laura Davies Not Playing 2024 AIG Women's Open
In total, nine former champions who are still exempt won't be playing at St Andrews this year, with Laura Davies explaining why she made the "really tough decision" not to compete in 2024.
As the winner in 1986, this year was the final Championship where Davies was exempt, but her absence means she will not be in the field for the first time since 1979 - ending a run of 43 consecutive starts.
Otherwise, Inbee Park, Lorena Ochoa, and Annika Sorenstam make up just a few of the other past champions who could have played at St Andrews this year but opted not to.
Which Eligible Past Champions Are Not In 2024 AIG Women's Open Field?
- Laura Davies (1986)
- Sherri Steinhauer (1998, 1999, 2006)
- Se Ri Pak (2001)
- Annika Sorenstam (2003)
- Karen Stupples (2004)
- Jeong Jang (2005)
- Lorena Ochoa (2007)
- Mo Martin (2014)
- Inbee Park (2015)
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.
-
Miles Russell Narrowly Misses Out On Victory At Prestigious Amateur Event
The 16-year-old finished T3 at the Jones Cup Invitational after a two-over 74 in the final round at Ocean Forest Golf Club in Georgia
By Mike Hall Published
-
LIV Golf Duo Set For DP World Tour Starts
Sergio Garcia and David Puig will compete on the DP World Tour before the start of the new LIV Golf season
By Mike Hall Published
-
'I Said YES' - Lexi Thompson Announces Engagement
Just over a month after ending her full-time career, Lexi Thompson has announced she got engaged on a New Year's trip to Whistler
By Paul Higham Published
-
'It Was The Stand-Out Tournament From Start To Finish' - Which Golf Event Was The Best This Year?
There have been hundreds of tournaments played throughout 2024 and, in this piece, the Golf Monthly team nominate their most entertaining events from the season
By Matt Cradock Published
-
'It Was The Out-And-Out Shock Of The Year' - Which Moment In Golf Stood Out Above All Else?
2024 has been a year of huge shocks on and off the golf course and, in this piece, the Golf Monthly team have discussed which particular moment stood out to them
By Matt Cradock Published
-
'The Hardest Category To Judge' - Who Recorded Golf's Round Of The Year?
We've been treated to some excellent rounds in 2024 and, below, the Golf Monthly team have given their thoughts on which one they think was the best
By Matt Cradock Published
-
The 12 Most Underrated Golf Seasons Of 2024
Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda dominated men's and women's golf in 2024, but there were plenty of players who saw fine seasons go under the radar - we look at the pick of the bunch
By Paul Higham Published
-
10 Predictions Ahead Of The 2025 Golf Season
What does the 2025 golfing calendar hold? As the new season gears up to its start, five Golf Monthly members lay out their predictions for the next 12 months
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Who Showed 'A Will To Keep Fighting Through The Dark Times' In Golf's Comeback Of The Year?
Golf has the capability to throw up some incredible comeback stories and, in 2024, we have seen a number of them throughout
By Matt Cradock Published
-
'There Could Have Been Another 10 Nominees' - But Who Stood Out As Golf's Amateur Of The Year?
There have been plenty of incredible amateur performances in 2024 and, in this piece, the Golf Monthly team debate who deserves the Amateur of the Year accolade
By Matt Cradock Published