Young golfers is going to play new role in AIG Women’s Open Prize Presentation. In a groundbreaking moment for women’s golf, the 2025 AIG Women’s Open will conclude this afternoon at Royal Porthcawl with a refreshed prize presentation format, placing junior golfers at the heart of the ceremony for the first time in the Championship’s 49-year history.
Departing from tradition, a Guard of Honour formed by junior players will greet the new Champion, symbolising the event’s deep commitment to inspiring the next generation. This marks a defining moment in the AIG Women’s Open’s evolution as it becomes not only a platform for elite competition but a celebration of progress and inclusion within the sport.
Two rising stars, 14-year-old Holly Miles and 12-year-old Oliver Jones, will have the prestigious honour of carrying the AIG Women’s Open Trophy and the Smyth Salver—awarded to the leading amateur—into the presentation arena. Their involvement highlights the connection between grassroots development and the highest levels of the women’s game.
They will be joined by ten fellow junior golfers from Llantrisant & Pontyclun Golf Club, recently named Junior Golf Club of the Year in Wales. The club was selected for its outstanding commitment to youth development, with an emphasis on accessibility, community participation, and player growth.
Commenting on the enhanced format, Zoe Ridgway, AIG Women’s Open Championship Director at The R&A, said:
“We are proud to evolve the prize presentation in a way that reflects the values of the AIG Women’s Open. By involving young golfers in this significant moment, we’re not only celebrating our Champion, but also shining a light on the promise and passion of future talent. We hope to see some of these young players return one day—not as spectators, but as competitors.”
This year’s closing ceremony is designed to reinforce the Championship’s broader mission: to honour excellence while actively nurturing the future of the sport. In doing so, the AIG Women’s Open continues to set a powerful example of how tradition and innovation can coexist to grow the game for generations to come.
About the AIG Women’s Open
First established in 1976 and now owned by The R&A, the AIG Women’s Open is one of five major championships in women’s golf.
Each year 144 players compete for the championship trophy with the low amateur, who plays 72 holes, awarded the Smyth Salver.
The AIG Women’s Open will be played at Royal Porthcawl, Wales from 30 July – 3 August 2025. Future venues will include Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2026 and Royal St George’s in 2027.
The Championship is the showpiece for The R&A’s commitment to growing women and girls’ golf via the Women in Golf Charter. The AIG Women’s Open aims to champion the changing face of women’s golf; to inspire, engage and provoke in order to challenge perceptions that will shape the future of the sport.
The AIG Women’s Open is proudly supported by AIG and Patrons HSBC, Mastercard, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Electric, Nikon, Rolex, Suntory and Toyo Tires
About the HotelPlanner Tour
The HotelPlanner Tour, formerly the Challenge Tour, had its first official season in 1989, and has developed into a proven training ground, where the champions-in-waiting compete across the globe for a place on the DP World Tour.
Many players who have progressed from the HotelPlanner Tour have gone on to become Major Champions – including Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooks Koepka – and Ryder Cup stars, such as Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Nicolai Højgaard and Tyrrell Hatton.
Using its vast international schedule and relationships with golf federations and PGAs, the HotelPlanner Tour is widely accessible to professionals from across the globe, giving players from developing golfing nations the opportunity to test their skill amongst some of the most talented up and coming stars in world golf.
HotelPlanner, a leading travel technology company, has been the title partner of the HotelPlanner Tour since the start of the 2025 season.
About the European Tour group
The European Tour group administers the DP World Tour, the HotelPlanner Tour, the Legends Tour and the G4D Tour and, as the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe LLP, stages golf’s greatest team contest, the Ryder Cup, in partnership with the PGA of America.
The European Tour group has Strategic Partnerships with the PGA TOUR, the Sunshine Tour, the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, the China Golf Association (CGA), the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA), and the TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India. These partnerships provide global pathways for players from across the world to compete internationally on the DP World Tour, the main men’s professional golf Tour of the European Tour group which was established in 1972, as well as the HotelPlanner Tour.
