AIG Women’s Open: Dame Laura Davies targeting St Andrews send-off after Walton Heath withdrawal
Dame Laura Davies has made 43 consecutive AIG Women’s Open appearances and won the event in 1986, before it was classified as a major, Englishwoman withdrew through injury mid-round at Walton Heath; Watch the AIG Women’s Open live this week on Sky Sports Golf
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Dame Laura Davies remains hopeful of signing off her record-breaking AIG Women’s Open career at St Andrews in 2024 after being forced to withdraw from this year’s contest through injury.
The golfing legend, who said pre-tournament that her 43rd consecutive AIG Women’s Open “might be my last one”, only completed six holes of her opening round at Walton Heath before being forced to pull out with a wrist injury.
Past winners of the event aged 60 or under receive an exemption to play each year, with Davies – who won the event in 1986 before it became recognised as a major – turning 60 in October and remaining eligible to compete in the 2024 edition at St Andrews.
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Dame Laura Davies is yet to commit to competing at the AIG Women’s Open next summer
Davies has only played a limited schedule in recent seasons and intends to scale back further over the year ahead, with the four-time major winner set to decide nearer the time whether she will extend her streak of AIG Women’s Open appearances at the Home of Golf.
“I’m probably not going to play any more regular tour events,” Davies told Sky Sports. “I’m going to be playing some seniors tour events next year and then, if I feel my game is good enough, I will have a go at St Andrews.
“It’s my favourite golf course in the world so couldn’t be better, but I’m not going to go there if I’m playing really horrible golf.
“Hopefully the senior events I play in will be enough to have some kind of game going in.”
Highlights of the first round of the AIG Women’s Open from Walton Heath.
Davies was nine over for her round after four bogeys, a double bogey and a triple-bogey over the first six holes, with the Englishwoman calling time on her round after an errant drive at the seventh.
“I just kept hitting it in the deep rough and I went for one too many,” Davies explained. “I had been kind of hacking my way down the first three or four holes and then got to six and it was a really bad lie in the brambles.
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“I went for it when I probably should’ve taken a drop and I just felt something in the wrist pop. On the tee shot on seven I felt it again and I thought ‘do you know what, I’m way over par, I’m getting in everyone’s way and it really hurts’, so I called for a ruling.
“The doctor has a look at it and said it was a rumbling tendon, which I don’t think I’ve had before! I don’t think I could have played today, so I think it was the right decision.
“It’s disappointing but sometimes you’ve got to know when it’s getting close to the end.”
Watch the AIG Women’s Open this month live on Sky Sports. The opening round is live on Thursday from 11am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the AIG Women’s Open with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months.
