Shiho Kuwaki of Japan won the 2026 Women's Open on Sunday, beating Germany's Esther Henseleit with a par on the second playoff hole at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. It was Kuwaki's first major title. She closed with a 1-under 70 to finish at 5-under 279, then waited as Henseleit holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 70 to force a playoff. The playoff was only the second in the tournament's history since it became a major in 2001. Kuwaki is the second consecutive Japanese player to win the Women's Open and the fifth Japanese player in the last three years to win a major. The total purse for the event was a record $10 million.