The 2023 AIG Women's Open moves into the third round with some of the most recognisable names, including leader Ally Ewing, home favourite Charley Hull, Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu and former World No.1 Atthaya Thitikul all eyeing up the chance of glory.
For some big names, though, their challenges didn't go any further than the second round. Here are 11 of the biggest names to miss the cut at the 2023 AIG Women's Open.
Ashleigh Buhai
The defending champion claimed the title in a tense playoff against In Gee Chun, but there will be no repeat of that memorable occasion at Muirfield for the South African.
Buhai’s opening round 74 didn’t help matters, and, while there was an improvement on Friday in a round that included four birdies, five bogeys tempered her progress and a frustrating day saw her finish beneath the cut line at three-over.
That marked a disappointing way to exit the tournament she won last year, particularly as she has won three times between then and the Walton Heath edition.
Hannah Green
Australian Green won the Women's PGA Championship in 2019 while in the same year, she secured her best finish at the Women's Open with a T16.
However, any hopes she had of adding a second Major title in 2023 disappeared within two days in the final of the year's showpiece events at Walton Heath.
Green begun the second round just one-over but if that was something to build on, it didn't get going for the three-time LPGA Tour winner. Her second round finished disappointingly on four-over, with her frustration summed up by a double bogey on the 18th.
Brooke Henderson
The Canadian almost retained her Amundi Evian Championship trophy in July before eventually succumbing to Celine Boutier.
However, any hopes that the performance would mark a sustained uptick in fortunes in an underwhelming season were dashed at Walton Heath.
Henderson’s opening round 75 did the damage, and an even par 72 wasn’t enough to recover and see her into the weekend.
Ariya Jutanagarn
The Thai player won this tournament in 2016 and followed that up with a second Major title in the US Women’s Open two years later. More top 10 finishes in the AIG Women’s Open came in 2018 and 2021, which would have given her confidence going into this week.
However, a three-over 75 in the first round left her with work to do on Friday and, despite an improved 73, it wasn’t enough to help her into the third round.
In-Kyung Kim
In-Kyung Kim won this tournament six years ago, and has achieved three other top-10 finishes in it, but she was well short of her best at the Walton Heath edition.
Six bogeys and two double bogeys were littered across her two rounds, leaving her well short of the cut line at six-over to add to her cut in the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship – her only other Major start in 2023.
Lydia Ko
The New Zealander has been far from her best in 2023, with a win in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International the brightest spot for the former World No.1
Ko went into the tournament looking for her third Major win, but her best form deserted her once again as she carded two rounds of 74 to leave her four-over, far from her best finish in the Major, a T3 in 2015.
Jennifer Kupcho
Everything had been going steadily enough for Kupcho in the opening round, with eight pars followed by a bogey over the front nine.
However, another bogey and two double bogeys on the back nine gave her a mountain to climb to make the cut heading into the second round at six-over.
She certainly gave it good go, with five birdies in a two-under round of 70. It wasn’t enough to see her over the line for the weekend, though, and she heads home from Walton Heath needing to wait a while longer for her second Major win.
Mel Reid
Reid got the AIG Women’s Open underway and had looked set to make the cut after an even-par opening round. After that effort, she said: “Not finished yet. Still feel like I've got a lot of golf left in me. “Yeah, I feel like my personal life is in the best place it's been and feel like I'm getting my game back on track.”
While Reid has put in some encouraging performances since suffering a serious wrist injury, she couldn’t produce her best in the second round in her homeland. A round with two birdies and four bogeys left her three-over and out of the weekend.
Yuka Saso
The winner of the 2021 US Women’s Open has also impressed in Majors this year, with a runner-up in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship before a T3 at the Amundi Evian Championship.
She wasn’t able to take that form into the AIG Women’s Open, though, thanks to disappointing rounds of 74 and 73 that left her three-over and out of the tournament.
Patty Tavatanakit
The Thai player would have been confident of adding a second Major title to her 2021 Chevron Championship win, particularly with four other top-10 finishes in Majors to draw from, including a T7 in the 2021 AIG Women’s Open.
That was before a disastrous start to her challenge at Walton Heath of bogey, double bogey, bogey. Five more bogeys followed in the first round to leave Tavatanakit needing something special to make the cut.
A four-under second round reminded everyone of her ability on the big occasion, but it wasn’t enough and she finishes the tournament on seven-over.
Lexi Thompson
After skipping the Amundi Evian Championship, the American made her first appearance since the US Women’s Open, and her rustiness showed, with rounds of 76 and 75 to see her hopes of securing a second Major title dashed.
By the time the next Major comes around, the 2024 Chevron Championship, it will be a decade since Thompson claimed that title. Will 2024 finally be the year where Thompson gets over the line again in one of the Majors?
