The AIG Women’s Open begins at Royal Porthcawl on Thursday with much of the pre-tournament focus on Lottie Woad.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is the defending champion heading into the final golf major of the year.

But the build-up has been dominated by talk of Woad, who has emerged as British golf’s most exciting prospect.

Remarkably, the 21-year-old is the bookmakers’ favourite to claim her first major victory – despite the fact this is just the second event of her professional career.

But if she is to triumph, England’s Woad must see off the finest players in the women’s game.

The 49th Women’s Open, which runs until Sunday, 3 August, is the first men’s or women’s major staged in Wales.

It has been billed as the biggest women’s sporting event staged in the country – thanks to a combination of the tournament’s status, its reach and the quality of the field.

There will be live BBC radio commentary and text coverage of all four days of the tournament, as well as reaction and analysis on the BBC Sport website and mobile app.

BBC Sport has signed a new multi-year agreement with The R&A, securing broadcast rights for the Women’s Open from 2025 until 2027.

The deal guarantees free-to-air access for UK audiences, with coverage spanning radio commentary and coverage on Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, digital clips across the BBC Sport website, app, and social media platforms as well as TV highlights on BBC Two and iPlayer.