7 Big Names Missing The 2024 AIG Women's Open

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.

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)