The Six Stories That Defined Day One at the AIG Women's Open

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — I've heard people romanticize links golf for years. The wind. The bounces. The history. The way every hole asks a different question. I figured I understood it, until I walked through the gates at Royal Lytham & St Annes on Thursday morning and saw it for the first time.

With crisp temperatures in the 60s, blue skies overhead and just enough breeze to remind you where you are, the 50th AIG Women's Open couldn't have scripted a better opening act. For my first major championship on links soil, it was impossible not to get swept up in it.

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The golf quickly lived up to the setting. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul took control of the championship seemingly out of nowhere, two-time major champion Haeran Ryu picked up right where she left off in France, Nelly Korda had a sluggish start, and Charley Hull's prank is making more rounds than her play.

Here are the six stories that defined the opening round.

For a player still in search of their maiden major, a start like this for a bid at a title couldn't have been scripted any better. The 23-year-old Thai sensation started her week off with a blistering start, with a 7-under par round of 64, making history at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

There wasn't a blemish on her card, and it was a rather clinical day with her putter, taking just 27 putts, on a course that has no problem humbling you, especially if you don't land it in the perfect place.

Thitikul looked to be in complete control from start to finish for what was her lowest career major round outside of the Amundi Evian Championship.

But while Thitikul commands the headlines, she wasn't the only major storyline to emerge from Thursday.

Fresh off her win from Evian, Haeran Ryu certainly looks like the best player in the world right now. No matter where she is, or what course she's playing, she's just simply getting it (ball in hole) done, and it looks effortless.

I wouldn't be shocked if we see quite a bit of back and forth between her and Jeeno. Nor, would I be shocked if it was the two-time major champion to come out on top.

And if she does so, she's be just the fifth woman in history to win three consecutive majors, and the first to do so in three starts.

If you aren't paying attention to her, I don't know what you're doing.

It was an underwhelming opening round for the World No. 1, who just never really found her groove...a sentiment that has carried over since KPMG, to be honest.

But that doesn't mean she's out of it, because links golf. In her pre-tournament presser Korda said, "My attitude this week is control what you can control. Sometimes with links golf you can kind of get pretty agitated with the bounces that you get. You hit a good shot, get a bad bounce, end up in a pot bunker, have to pitch out unfortunately and save par. So this week my attitude is going to be control what you can control."

As I watched her today I noticed that her ball striking was off ever so slightly, over-drawing them a touch and relying heavily on her short game to get her up-and-down. Korda hit just 10 of 18 greens, compared to Ryu and Thitikul who each hit 15 and 16, respectively.

If she can get that stat more ironed out, I think we'll see the four-time major winner, not just make the weekend, but have a surge on moving day.

She currently sits at +2.

If Thursday proved anything, it's that Royal Lytham & St Annes isn't going to hand anyone this championship.

The benign weather, especially for the later groups, kept scoring lower than it could have been, but the course still demanded precision. Miss a fairway and the thick rough quickly became a problem. Stray too far off line and the famous pot bunkers are right there waiting to gobble up your ball.

One player even shared with me that she felt as though she was getting punished for hitting the ball too long, and that in some cases hitting it deep was more penal.

The forecast is expected to become more challenging as the week unfolds, meaning surviving Royal Lytham will only get tougher from here. These first two rounds are the true days to score.

Not every memorable moment from day one came with a scorecard. This one, rather, a scratch card. Charley Hull once again proved why she's one of golf's most entertaining personalities, shrugging off any criticism surrounding her prank on caddie Adam Woodard with the same no-nonsense attitude she brings to the course. Hull said she'd "100 percent" do it again, insisting it was all in good fun before joking that she'd make it up to him by buying him "100 scratch cards." As for those who weren't amused?

Her message was simple: "Loosen up."

Hull sits five shots back at 2-under.

Yealimi Noh leading this championship at one point was beyond surprising to me.

She's made just seven cuts in her 14 starts this season, and her best finish came at the first event of the year in January, where she was T-17. But it goes to show you, that links golf has a way of flipping things upside down, and the underdog just may stand a chance.

After her maiden title in 2025, Noh has struggled to stay in form, so hopefully this is the boost she needs to keep her foot on the gas.

Stanford's Paula Martin Sampedro was last year's AIG's low amateur and picked up right where she left off. A one point she was staring down a share of the lead, but ended her day at -2.

But also be on the lookout for Charlotte Naughton of England, who's currently +2, but with the crowd behind her, she could make a push for the weekend.

Pauline Roussin-Bouchard of France came to play in a sea foam green fit from Fore All. This was really, really good.

Links golf also likely means lots of layers...and this is the best of that.

If this was my first real taste of championship links golf, it couldn't have been a better introduction.

The course lived up to the hype, the leaderboard is packed with star power and the unpredictability that makes links golf so addictive is already on full display. Three rounds remain, and somehow it already feels like anything can happen.