There is a very real chance Haeran Ryu is turning a hot streak into something much bigger. After birdieing the 18th to grab the lead at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the 25-year-old sits on seven under par at the AIG Women's Open 2026, and that is not just a tidy position on a leaderboard. It is a statement.
Earlier in the month, Ryu won her second major in the space of two weeks at the Evian Championship. That alone would have made her one of the defining names of the summer. Now she has backed it up by moving to the top after two rounds here, following an opening 66 and then a second round finished in style. The uncomfortable truth for everyone else is simple: this is what momentum looks like when it belongs to a player who is already handling pressure with frightening calm.
The key moment came exactly where Ryu says it matters most. The last hole, in her words, is always important because it is good for tomorrow, and she has now made birdie on it twice. She also said she stayed patient after a tough start, added birdies late and was happy to finish under par. That is the sort of composed, clinical golf that tends to win major championships rather than merely contend for them.
The chasing pack still has work to do
Of course, this is not over. Lottie Woad, Charley Hull, Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul are still in the mix after two rounds, and that matters because the names around Ryu are not here to admire her form. They are here to catch her. Thitikul, who had finished two shots behind the leader after the opening round, later shot a 64, which tells you enough about the standard still lurking behind the leader.
But right now the story is Ryu, and it should be. Back-to-back major victories would be impressive enough. A third major title in the same calendar year would move this beyond a run of good results and into rare territory. The lead is only one shot, but the significance is much larger than that. Ryu is not merely hanging around at the AIG Women's Open 2026. She is trying to own it.
