Jeeno Thitikul shot a bogey-free, seven-under-par 64 in the first round of the AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham & St Anne's, opening a two-shot lead over the field and serving notice that the last women's major of the year may be the one she finally wins.

The 23-year-old world number two has 11 top-10 finishes in majors but has never lifted one of the five trophies that matter most in the women's game. A 64 — 18 holes of no dropped shots — does not erase that gap on its own. But it is the loudest possible start, and the leaderboard now chases her.

Two shots back, on five under, sit South Korea's Haeran Ryu and Japan's Shiho Kuwaki. Ryu's presence near the top carries its own weight: she is chasing what would be a third major title of 2026, a feat only four women in history have managed. BBC Sport

Yealimi Noh of the United States and France's Céline Boutier are one further stroke adrift at four under, while Japan's Chisato Iwai and Thailand's Chanettee Wannasaen each signed for rounds of three under.

The English challenge is led by Lottie Woad and Charley Hull, both at two under, part of a seven-strong group on that mark that includes Spain's Paz Martin, American Lauren Coughlin, Japan's Rio Takeda and Mao Saigo, and Singapore's Shannon Tan. BBC Sport

World number one Nelly Korda had a day to forget. Four bogeys added up to a two-over-par 73 — seven shots behind Thitikul and right on the edge of trouble, though well inside the cut line (the score that decides who plays the weekend) with 54 holes still to go.

Lydia Ko, the New Zealander chasing the last missing piece of her own career grand slam, opened with a one-under-par 70, keeping herself in touch alongside England's Alice Hewson, Eilidh Rhodes, and Annabell Fuller.

The tournament, the final women's major of the year, runs from 29 July to 2 August 2026 over the Lancashire links, with a field of 144 players. Sky Sports First-round play began at 6:30 AM, and the event's official site has already flagged Thitikul's 64 as one of the "magic moments" of the championship's 50th-year celebrations. AIG Women's Open

For fans, what makes this stand out is the combination of course and character. Royal Lytham's links — a course shaped by wind, gorse, and 206 bunkers — punishes the wayward and rewards patience. Thitikul's bogey-free round there is no ordinary low score. She picked the golf course apart with the precision of someone who knows how close she has come before, and how many times.

Three rounds remain. A Thursday lead at a major is a statement, not a verdict. But if Thitikul was feeling the weight of those 11 near-misses, she has a funny way of showing it.