If you have been watching the coverage of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open played at Royal Porthcawl, the broadcast on USA and NBC has been showing a graphic of the most recent American champions of the AIG Women’s Open. One name stood out on that graphic.
Sherri Steinhauer.
Why was her name especially notable among former world No. 1s like Lilia Vu and Stacy Lewis? It’s because Steinhauer dominated this event, winning it three times. She is tied with the legendary Karrie Webb for the most wins in the event’s history.
Strangely though, the Women’s British Open wasn’t originally considered a major on the LPGA Tour. While it was always considered one on the LET, the LPGA Tour didn’t give it that qualification until 2001.
Two of Steinhauer’s wins in the event were before it was considered a major, in 1998 and 1999, something that irked her a bit.
“I had won the British Open in 98 and 99, and they were not majors, and it kind of bothered me” said Steinhauer.
Her first of those titles, held at next year’s host Royal Lytham and St. Annes, was an absolute thriller. Steinhauer opened the tournament with an 81. Because of the tough conditions, she wasn’t yet out of the running, but she needed to outplay the competition steadily. She followed up that unfortunate first round with scores of 72, 70 and a best for last 69. Her opening round 81 is still the highest score ever recorded by a champion at the course.
Her next win came at Woburn, a course that doesn’t fit the mold of most traditional British Open courses, but has hosted more playings of this championship than any other. Here, Steinhauer out dueled the greatest ever, Annika Sörenstam, to win by one stroke with a made putt on the final hole. Her scores were a bit more consistent in this one, with her worst score being a 73 in the final round.
While those two wins were incredible, and ones that Steinhauer cares deeply about, she still really wanted that British Open major. In 2006, it returned to a familiar site for the veteran. Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s.
Steinhauer didn’t start the best here once again, but recovered nicely with a second-round 70 to get inside the top 10. A third-round 66 really propelled her, giving Steinhauer a three-shot cushion heading into the final round, where she cruised in at even par to win comfortably over Cristie Kerr and Sophie Gustafson.
“In 2006, when I had a chance to win, that was totally different because I really wanted it because I wanted one British as a major,” said Steinhauer. “That was a special feeling.”
