AIG Women’s Open Weekend Guide: Your Sim Golf Fan’s Viewing Companion for the LPGA/Trackman Broadcast Debut at Royal Lytham
Round 2 is live today (July 31). Rounds 3-4 are this weekend (August 1-2). If you own a home simulator, play at a sim venue, or follow sim golf tournaments, this is the weekend you have been waiting for - the LPGA and Trackman are debuting live shot-tracing data at a major championship for the first time in history.
The tech producing those on-screen data overlays on your TV? It is the same technology inside your home simulator. You can experience this yourself with our Trackman virtual golf guide or compare the technology in our launch monitor complete guide.
Here is your complete weekend guide to the 2026 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes - from a sim golf perspective.
Why This Weekend Matters for Sim Golfers
The LPGA partnership with Trackman - announced in late 2025 and activated for the 2026 season - represents the most significant crossover moment between sim golf technology and professional broadcast golf.
Here is what is happening that you will not see anywhere else:
- Live ball-tracing data - Every shot from the world’s best women golfers tracked with the same radar technology found in Trackman’s home sim and commercial sim products
- Club data visualization - Clubhead speed, ball speed, smash factor, launch angle, and carry distance displayed in real-time during broadcasts
- Shot-shape overlays - Draws, fades, and trajectory paths shown on screen, identical to what you see on your GSPro or Trackman Virtual Golf session
- Historical comparison data - Player stats versus their season averages, course history, and field rankings - all powered by Trackman’s database
For the first time, a casual golf fan watching at home will see the same data language that sim golfers speak every day. The LPGA/Trackman broadcast is essentially putting your home simulator’s data display on national television. Discover how the LPGA/Trackman partnership changes sim golf and read our AIG Women’s Open weekend preview.
The Weekend Schedule
| Round | Date | Coverage Window (ET) | What to Watch For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 2 (Today) | Friday, July 31 | Early morning - afternoon | Cut line pressure. 167 bunkers test patience. |
| Round 3 | Saturday, August 1 | Early morning - afternoon | Moving day. Leaders separate on the back nine. |
| Round 4 | Sunday, August 2 | Early morning - afternoon | Championship Sunday. Royal Lytham closing stretch. |
Broadcast: Golf Channel / NBC (US) | Sky Sports Golf (UK) | LPGA official streaming
Pro tip for US viewers: The time difference from the UK means morning coverage - perfect for a Saturday and Sunday sim session after the leaders finish.
Royal Lytham: The Course Every Sim Golfer Should Know
Royal Lytham and St Annes is one of the most distinctive courses in the Open Championship rotation. It has hosted 11 Open Championships, two Ryder Cups, and five Women’s British Opens.
The Numbers
- Par: 71
- Yardage: 6,850 yards (championship tees)
- Bunkers: 167
- Opens hosted: 11
- Signature hole: Par-4 17th - a 328-yard dogleg right with bunkers waiting for a bad tee shot
What Makes It Unique
Unlike most links courses, Royal Lytham is inland - you will not see the ocean from the course. The defense is entirely in the bunkering. Every fairway is lined with deep pot bunkers. Every green is guarded by steep-faced traps. The fairways themselves are relatively flat, but the rough is penal, and the greens are small and well-contoured.
The course does not reveal itself on a range finder. It demands precision - exactly the kind of golf that Trackman’s data overlay is designed to showcase.
Playing Royal Lytham on Your Sim
Royal Lytham is available on several sim platforms. If you want to play along with the tournament this weekend:
| Platform | Royal Lytham Availability | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| GSPro (via GSG) | Yes - Community course | Very Good |
| E6 Connect | Yes - Licensed course | Premium |
| Trackman Virtual Golf | Yes - Officially licensed | Premium |
| TGC 2019 | Yes - Community course | Very Good |
| Golfzon TwoVision | Yes - Officially licensed | Premium |
| Full Swing Simulator | Yes - Officially licensed | Very Good |
Weekend challenge: Play Royal Lytham on your sim and see how many of the 167 bunkers you can find. The pros will avoid them. You probably will not.
The LPGA/Trackman Broadcast: What Is Actually New
If you have been following sim golf coverage this year, you know Trackman broadcast data has been used on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and The Open Championship. The LPGA deal marks the first time women’s professional golf has received the same broadcast treatment.
What the LPGA/Trackman partnership delivers:
- Live shot tracing - Every tee shot, approach, and putt tracked with Doppler radar data
- Real-time club data - Clubhead speed, ball speed, smash factor on key shots
- Player analytical profiles - Trackman database of player tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses
- Historical context - How this week’s performance compares to career averages and season trends
- On-screen graphics - The same data-rich overlays that make sim golf sessions so informative
From a sim golf perspective, this is validation. Every time a viewer sees a “carry 287, total 301, club speed 98 mph” graphic on their TV, they are seeing the same technology that powers their launch monitor at home.
Storylines to Watch This Weekend
1. The Trackman Data Story
The most interesting narrative for sim golfers is not just who wins - it is how the broadcast uses the new data. Will the commentary team lean into the numbers? Will they show shot-shape overlays on every key shot? Will they compare players’ Trackman data to field averages?
Watch for: The moment a player’s shot-trace overlay matches the analyst’s commentary - that is the moment the broadcast clicks into a new era.
2. The Bunker Test
Royal Lytham’s 167 bunkers are the great equalizer. The player who avoids them this weekend will likely win. The player who finds them will need to scramble. Trackman data will show exactly how much distance each bunker-visit costs.
3. The Links Challenge
Royal Lytham in late July should be firm and fast. The ground game matters. Bump-and-runs, low stingers, and putts from 30 yards off the green - this is the kind of golf that sim golf struggles to replicate but is beautiful to watch.
4. The Championship Finish
The closing stretch at Royal Lytham - holes 15 through 18 - has decided multiple Opens. The par-4 17th (328 yards, drivable for the longest hitters but guarded by bunkers) and the par-4 18th (386 yards, a tough driving hole with a narrow fairway) will test nerve and execution.
How to Watch (Sim Golf Fan Edition)
| Platform | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Golf Channel / NBC | Rounds 2-4 live | Morning ET windows |
| Sky Sports Golf | Full live coverage | UK broadcast leader |
| LPGA Official Streaming | All rounds | Bonus coverage, featured groups |
| GOLF+ VR | Parallel virtual tournament | Play Royal Lytham in VR during the broadcast |
The GOLF+ VR Angle: The R&A and GOLF+ launched a parallel virtual AIG Women’s Open tournament on the GOLF+ platform. You can play Royal Lytham in VR while the real tournament is happening. This is part of the R&A broader push into virtual golf - a signal that the governing bodies see sim golf as a participation driver.
The Sim Golf Connection: Why This Weekend Matters Long-Term
The AIG Women’s Open with Trackman broadcast data is not just a one-week event. It is a structural signal for the sim golf industry.
Here is what this weekend proves:
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Sim golf tech is broadcast tech - The same sensors, algorithms, and data pipelines that power your home sim session now power major championship television. The line between playing golf and watching golf is blurring.
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The LPGA is betting on data-driven storytelling - Trackman data gives broadcasters a new language to tell stories about player performance. This is the same kind of data revolution that transformed baseball (Statcast) and basketball (Second Spectrum).
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The sim golf audience is growing - Every viewer who sees Trackman data on their TV and thinks “I have that in my garage” is a potential sim golfer.
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Women’s golf is leading the innovation - The LPGA beat the PGA Tour to full Trackman broadcast integration at a major.
Weekend Watchlist
Friday, July 31 (Round 2) - The cut line. Watch Trackman data visualization of players fighting to make the weekend.
Saturday, August 1 (Round 3) - Moving day. Watch the leaders’ approach shots with Trackman carry distance and dispersion overlays.
Sunday, August 2 (Round 4) - Championship Sunday. Trackman club data will show exactly who is swinging freely and who is gripping too tight.
The Bottom Line
For sim golfers, the AIG Women’s Open is the most important golf broadcast of 2026. Not because of who wins - though that matters - but because the LPGA and Trackman are proving that sim golf technology belongs in the mainstream of sports broadcasting.
The next time someone asks you “why do you have a golf simulator in your house?” - tell them to watch this weekend. The same technology they see on TV is the same technology that makes your home sim session addictive.
Round 2 is on now. The weekend is ahead. Tune in - and then go play Royal Lytham on your sim.
Also this weekend: The X-League 14th Championship finals are one week away (August 7-8), the Golden Tee World Championship airs on The Ocho on August 9, and the Uneekor Invitational opens registration in two weeks. August 2026 is the most packed month in sim golf history - and the AIG Women’s Open is the perfect warm-up act.