The Women's British Open has a new sponsor, with American Insurance Group (AIG) putting their name on one of the LPGA's five major championships for the next five years.
AIG takes over from Ricoh, who sponsored this tournament for 12 years before dropping down after this year to become an official supplier of the event. In their tenure, Ricoh worked with the R&A to elevate the tournament in terms of purse and course rotation. The championship visited St. Andrews for the first time and debuted at other venues in The Open rota.
“This is an exciting time for women’s golf and we are delighted to welcome AIG as the title sponsor for the Women’s British Open,” added Martin Slumbers, the R&A's chief executive. “AIG’s support will help us continue to grow and develop the championship even further and ensure it continues to be a truly world-class sporting event. The championship is also a fantastic showcase for women’s golf and supports our goal of encouraging more women and young girls to take up the sport.”
In 2019, the AIG Women's British Open returns to Woburn in England. The tournament, played Aug. 1-4, will be the last of five majors on the LPGA calendar. The Evian Championship, previously played in September since becoming a major, is moving to earlier in the summer to take advantage of better weather in France.
It's unclear if AIG has agreed to increase the prize pool for the Women's British Open. In 2018, the purse was $3.25 million. The 2019 LPGA schedule is set to be released in the coming days, cementing a schedule that's expected to have record prize money.
