In the past week, the Lionesses have continued their triumphant journey in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, while England’s Vitality Roses created history by securing a spot in the Netball World Cup final. Simultaneously, double-header men’s and women’s matches in The Hundred cricket tournament have been unfolding, so the momentum driving women’s sports in the UK is palpable.
As anticipation builds for the start of the AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath Golf Club tomorrow, a question emerges: Will the tournament gather similar media attention and public recognition as the aforementioned events?
Celine Boutier in action at the 2022 AIG Women’s Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In all probability it should, considering that the final women’s Major of the year is anticipated to be the best one yet.
Notable players teeing up at Walton Heath include World No 1 Nelly Korda, former AIG Women’s Open champion Georgia Hall, defending champion Ashleigh Buhai, young American sensation Rose Zhang, Charley Hull will be hoping to go one better than her runner-up finish at the US Open, and the player of the moment Celine Boutier will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of back-to-back titles.
An inventive festival-style village designed to appeal to the whole family and a live performance on Saturday evening by chart-topping artist Ellie Goulding, with support from Freya Risings, will add to the excitement of four days of exceptional golf.
However, it’s widely acknowledged that women’s golf has been working to bridge the gap with other women’s sports due to several factors. Golf’s historical links with exclusivity and elitism, paired with gender disparities of the past, have posed hurdles to accessibility.
Also, sports such as football and tennis benefited from earlier and more consistent investments in media coverage, sponsorships, and infrastructure, which bolstered their growth and appeal, enabling them to attract public attention and cultivate fan bases more effortlessly.
Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai at a pre-tournament press conference
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The crux lies in visibility, and unlike the Women’s World Cup and Netball World Cup,…
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