THERE’S a whopping £2.3million prize at stake for the victor of this year’s British Open – but you could argue most of the golfers have already won big off the green.
Because cheering the talented sportsmen on are a bevvy of bikini-loving beauty queens, superstar sportswomen and brainbox business titans.
Instagram/lilia_schneiderLilia Schneider says she overcame ‘hating my body’ with bikini snaps online[/caption]
GettyReigning British Open champ Xander Schauffele with wife Maya[/caption]
Nikki Guidish used to model clothes for a US shopping channel
Among them is defending champion Xander Schauffele, who will be eying up his third major championship, spurred on by his wife Maya Lowe.
She may well be his lucky charm because the healthcare administrator’s support saw him win the PGA Championship and British Open last year.
Maya, who married Xander in 2021, admitted she had never watched golf before meeting the US sportsman and has only recently “gotten the lingo down”.
Other big swingers including Brit favourite Rory McIlory, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are also backed by their glamorous and intelligent other halves.
From a Maxim Hot 100 stunner to an ex-bodybuilder who became a doctor and a one-hit-wonder singer, we reveal this year’s British Open WAGs.
Allison Stokke
American Rickie Fowler isn’t the only sports star in their California home because he’s married to Allison Stokke, a record-breaking pole vaulter who’s claimed a number of US titles.
At one point she was ranked second in the state and nation, but narrowly missed a spot at the London 2012 Olympics.
Allison, 36, put her career on hold after meeting Rickie, who she married in 2019 after two years of dating, to have their daughters, Maya and Nellie.
Now a sports influencer who has modelled for Nike, GoPro and Athleta, she’s still turning heads on the green.
Back in 2007 she was described as “a sex symbol against her will” when a photo of her competing in New York went viral.
InstagramA photo of Allison Stokke went viral during her early career[/caption]
Instagram / Allison Stokke FowlerShe’s the better half of Rickie Fowler[/caption]
It followed the snap being posted to a creepy but popular US sports blog under the headline: “Pole Vaulting is Sexy, Barely Legal.”
The furore sparked think pieces in the Washington Post, The New York and Los Angeles Times, and was reported on by the BBC and Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald.
Allison, later a Maxim Hot 100 star and named Hottest Female Athlete by Men’s Health in 2011, said the fetishisation was “creepy and a little scary”, “really demeaning” and overshadowed her sports career.
Lilia Schneider
Instagram/lilia_schneiderBryson Dechambeau’s stunning girlfriend Lilia Schneider[/caption]
GettyShe was named has been dubbed ‘the next great Instagram golf influencer’[/caption]
Described as “the next great Instagram golf influencer”, Lilia Schneider will certainly be turning a few heads if she shows up at The Open.
She’s the rumoured girlfriend of Bryson DeChambeau, 31, who she’s been linked to since the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series when they were snapped snuggling up in a golf cart.
Michigan-born Lilia, 22, who’s just finished her second year at Marian University in Indianapolis, has an impressive social media following.
She has nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram and 150,000 on TikTok, lured by her golf coaching videos and streams of stunning bikini shots.
“I used to be very insecure and hate my body so I decided to do something about it,” she captioned one scantily-clad snap.
I used to be very insecure and hate my body so I decided to do something about it
Lilia Schneider
It’s believed she could be following in the footsteps of Paige Spiranac – a professional golfer who leveraged her large fanbase to get into modelling and launch businesses.
Paige, 32, has featured in Sports Illustrated, was named Maxim’s ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’ in 2022, is an ambassador and major shareholder for a betting firm.
She even launched a site titled OnlyPaige – which features saucy snaps, golf coaching videos, livestreams and vlogs – something not too dissimilar from what Lilia’s doing now.
Jillian Wisniewski
@justinthomas34Jillian Wisniewski’s husband regularly shares gushing posts about his wife[/caption]
AFPShe tied the knot with Justin Thomas in his native Bilbao[/caption]
Justin Thomas’s better half Jillian Wisniewski may be his lucky charm on the course – because he claimed she was behind his 2017 PGA Championship victory.
It was his first win but he was so “very confident” he would claim his first majors win that he got her to change her flight so she didn’t miss his game.
Justin, 32, recalled telling his then girlfriend of a year: “I don’t want you to miss this and I feel like I’m going to get it done.”
Jillian is a journalism graduate who works for a major advertising firm but is likely on maternity leave, after giving birth to daughter Molly late last year.
She’s part of a “great support network” that nursed Justin back to health from a “pretty bad space mentally” back in 2021. The couple married a year later.
Justin’s clearly proud of his “great wife” as his Instagram page, which boasts more than two million followers, is littered with snaps of the two of them together.
Paulina Gretzky
Instagram/paulinagretzkyPaulina Gretzky appeared in Grown Ups 2, which starred Adam Sandler[/caption]
GettyHer dad tagged along to her first ‘date’ with future hubby Dustin Johnson[/caption]
Daughter of Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, Paulina doesn’t shy away from the cameras.
The 36-year-old, who is married to six-time World Golf Championships winner Dustin Johnson, 40, is not only a successful model but a musician and an actress.
One year after making her modelling debut in Flare magazine in 2005, she released the song Collecting Dust, which was used for MTV’s Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.
She’s also famed for her bikini-clad bit-parts in films including the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2, the 2009 remake of Fame, and Gary Oldman hit Guns, Girls and Gambling.
Paulina has forged a successful career and doesn’t regret choosing fame over college, despite her father spending a fortune to send her to one of America’s best all-female prep schools.
She admits her first night out with future hubby Dustin in 2013 wasn’t overly romantic, adding: “I don’t know if you can call it a date since my dad tagged along.”
Within a year they were engaged and eventually tied the knot in 2022. They share two sons Tatum, 10, and River, seven.
When asked why their nuptials took nearly a decade, she said: “This guy has no downtime. The stresses from getting everything ready for a wedding would take over mine and his life and what I needed to be was his teammate.”
Gushing about their love story, she added: “I fell in love with someone so fast and we just had the best thing that’s ever happened to us happen so quickly.”
Erica Stoll
GettyRory McIlroy U-turned on his decision to divorce wife Erica Stoll[/caption]
Erica Stoll has stood by her man Rory McIlroy through thick and thin – even a moment of madness that led him to file for divorce last year.
The Northern Irishman, 36, retracted his decision within a month and recalled the moment as a “a wake-up call” where he decided: “Let’s just focus on the golf for a little bit.”
He’s been in a relationship with Erica since 2014 – two years after first locking eyes at the famous 2012 Ryder Cup while she was working as a PGA employee.
She came to his rescue during that tournament by arranging a police escort for him when he overslept, due to a timezone mix-up, and risked missing tee time.
That Ryder Cup became renowned for the ‘Miracle at Midinah’ and saw McIlroy’s team Europe make the comeback of a lifetime, clawing back a victory after being 10-6 down on the final day of play.
The couple, who married in 2017, share daughter Poppy, four. During his time away from Erica, 37, last year, Rory said he realised “our best future was as a family together”.
Prior to parenthood, Erica rose up the ranks in the PGA from transport official to office manager and manager of championship volunteer operations.
Olivia Peet
InstagramOlivia Peet was born in Manchester and was a high-flying tennis player[/caption]
RexShe’s been dating Ludvig Aberg since 2023[/caption]
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg was tamed by Manchester-born Olivia Peet, who was one of 10 nationally ranked female tennis players in the UK.
The brainbox earned a bachelor degree in science from Texas Tech University before getting a masters in Sport and Fitness Administration and Management.
Olivia, 25, taught tennis at a racquet club near to her university and was recognised as a talented player on her university’s varsity sports team.
She now works as an associate director of the athletics annual fund at the university and became official with Ludvig, also 25, back in 2023.
Meredith Scudder
instagram @scottie.schefflerScottie Scheffler with his wife of five years Meredith[/caption]
GettyShe says her husband is ‘super humble’ and modest[/caption]
The wife of Scottie Scheffler is a talented business woman who co-founded Purpose College Station – a company that supports those affected by childhood cancer.
Meredith, 28, is also an ambassador for nutrition organisation Juice Plus and the leading events planner for Eatology, which helps people with eating disorders.
The couple met at high school but didn’t date until their final year and tied the knot in a Winder Wonderland-themed wedding in Dallas six years later.
In 2024 they welcomed their son Bennett. Meredith says she was drawn to Scottie because he had a “super humble ambience about him” and has remained modest.
She said: “He was just a really down-to-earth guy that doesn’t take himself too seriously. Even when he had amazing accomplishments, that wasn’t the most important thing about him.”
Katherine Zhu
InstagramKatherine Zhu massively helped her husband’s game[/caption]
InstagramThey married in 2022 alongside dog Koa[/caption]
It was the “gentleman’s game” that brought Katherine Zhu and future husband Colin Marikawa, 28, together in 2017 and it remains a massive part of their life.
She’s a former college golf champion and he actually credits her with his success, which began in 2020 when he became the third-youngest PGA Champion since World War 2.
US golfer Colin admits: “I didn’t start winning in college until she showed up in my life, so thanks Kat.”
And it’s not just on the green where she excels. Katherine’s also a talented tennis player, winning her first amateur tournament aged 13.
The social media influencer and entrepreneur tied the knot with Colin in 2022 in a lavish ceremony with their dog Koa.
When she’s not being her husband’s caddy, Katherine is busy running half-marathons.
Nikki Guidish
Nikki Guidish used to compete in bodybuilder competitions
Instagram/nikki_guidishShe’s married to Patrick Cantlay[/caption]
Stunning Nikki Guidish marries brains with beauty as she once was a model, who notably appeared on America’s Home Shopping Network showing off footwear, before studying medicine.
The 33-year-old, who is married to Patrick Cantlay, became a pharmacist after her modelling days and working as a fitness influencer.
She competed in bodybuilding competitions for two years until 2016 and one display on stage led her to land a front cover for South Tampa Magazine, in Florida.
Nikki went official with her beau in 2021 when she shared a reel of photos of him at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, captioning it: “Nothing short of a memorable weekend.”
They tied the knot two years later and share a golden retriever named Marv. Nikki’s regularly seen supporting him on the green and kissing him shortly after his victories.
Jena Sims
LainSnow/CMGJena Sims loves flaunting her toned body in bikinis online[/caption]
InstagramJena Sims debuts a daring bra-less look in a video with husband Brooks Koepka[/caption]
Online Jena Sims describes herself as a “Krispy Kreme connoisseur” – but you wouldn’t know judging by her svelte figure.
The wife of Brooks Koepka, whom she wed in 2022, she’s competed in the Miss Teen USA beauty pageant back in 2007 and has since become an actress.
The 36-year-old starred in comedy horror film Attack Of The 50 Foot Cheerleader and Three-Headed Shark Attack, which co-starred former WWE champion Rob Van Dam.
Jena also bagged parts in Sharknado 5: Global Swarming and the TV shows Dexter, Entourage and One Tree Hill.
On Instagram she boasts 335,000 followers and regularly shares bikini snaps to showcase her collab with Lain Snow.
Jena, who appeared in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine, founded Pageant Of Hope, which helps disabled children, and has invested in skincare and make-up ranges.
Kelley Cahill
GettyJon Rahm met future wife Kelley Cahill at college[/caption]
Spanish 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm is married to his college sweetheart Kelley Cahill, whom he met while studying golf on a scholarship in the US.
She’s a full-time mum to their two sons and daughter and is regularly seen cheering her husband, whom she wed in 2019 in his hometown Bilbao.
Kelley, 31, is a former javelin thrower, who represented Arizona State University and she remains sporty, often joining her husband for workouts.
However, tennis is one sport they will no longer play together. She recalled: “He’s killing forehands… cross court zingers, and I’m thinking, ‘This can’t be right.’
“He was so good. I was so upset. I was actually mad for a day or two. We have not stepped foot on a tennis court since.”
Katherine Gaal
InstagramMatt Fitzpatrick’s wife Katherine Gaal is a marketing expert[/caption]
Former Miss Jersey runner up Katherine Gaal stole the heart of Sheffield-born Matt Fitzpatrick and married him in 2023.
When she’s not his caddy, she’s a marketing professional who is currently the regional marketing manager at a data protection and software development firm.
They first appeared as a couple at the February 2023 premiere for the Netflix golf docuseries Full Swing. By September they were engaged and tied the knot a year later.
New Jersey-born Katherine, 33, met Matt shortly after he won the US Open in 2022.
Wendy Lowry
Nurse Wendy is Shane’s ‘no.1 fan’Instagram/@wendyirislowry
Like many couples, Wendy Honner met her future hubby, the PGA Tour winner Shane Lowry, boozing on a “random night out”.
Four years after they set eyes on each other in 2012 they were married and Wendy has been a beacon of strength for her partner throughout.
Shane described the Irish nurse, who works at Dublin’s Temple Street Children’s Hospital, as his “No1 fan” and says he owes her “a lot” for her support.
“There were plenty of times I have been crying myself to sleep or wondering am I able to keep going,” he gushed in 2019.
“But when you have a good strong woman behind you it makes it easier.”
Wendy says their two children have massively changed Shane for the better, explaining that if he has a bad day on the course, “the girls don’t care” and “they just want Dad home”.
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