Superstar in the making - Lottie Woad wins Women's Scottish Open on pro debut
English player rounds off impressive performance by landing three-shot success at Dundonald Links
Impressive in Ireland. Fantastic in France. Superb in Scotland. Now her aim is to be wonderful in Wales. Step forward Lottie Woad, who capped a fairytale July by winning the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open by three shots at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire.
The 21-year-old from Farnham in Surrey won the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House as an amateur at the start of the month before finishing second in The Evian Championship, the penultimate women’s major of the season, in France.
On the back of those eye-catching efforts, the spotlight was on Woad as she made her professional debut on Scottish soil and, boy, did she make the sporting world sit up and take notice.
At no point over the course of the four days in the $2 million event did she ever look as though she was flustered, even if her reddened face might sometimes give that impression.
The truth of the matter is that Woad is a bit shy and probably feels a bit uncomfortable being the centre of attention, but, on the evidence of the past few weeks, she is going to have to get used to it. In short, she’s a superstar in the making.
“Very special to win in my first event,” she said of this success. “You know, everyone was chasing me today, and I managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots, which is nice.”
Two ahead at the start of the day in the LET and LPGA co-sanctioned event, Woad was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Korean Hyo Joo Kim early on the back nine and the pair were still locked together as Woad played the 14th and Kim tackled the 15th.
Almost at the same time, Woad rolled in a five-footer for a birdie at her hole while Kim missed from the same distance for a par in the match in front. Event over.
Signing for a closing 68, Woad finished with a 21-under-par total, which had also been her winning aggregate in Ireland. Due to her amateur status, she didn’t pick up the winner’s cheque on that occasion, but this title triumph led to $300,000 being deposited in her bank account.
“I don't even know what the winner's cheque is,” she admitted. “But, yeah, I mean, a lot of people have obviously talked about me not winning any money.
“But I knew going into this event, at the start, I wasn't going to win any money. Didn't make too much difference. And then I knew if I kept playing how I was, then it would all work out.”
She described her exploits in July as “pretty good” and, on this evidence, August could be tasty, too. It starts with an appearance in the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl and, 12 months after finishing as the leading amateur at St Andrews, it seems as though she’ll be a contender for the top prize this time around. “Yeah. Just looking to continue the momentum, really,” she said of her next assignment, which starts on Thursday.
Woad, who underlined her potential when winning the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2023, is just the third player to win in their first start on the LPGA Tour as a member, joining Jin Young Ko (2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open) and Beverly Hanson (1951 Eastern Open).
She also became the ninth player to win in their first professional start in an official LPGA Tour event since 1980 and the first since American Rose Zhang achieved the feat in the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open as a non-LPGA member.
“I felt pretty good going down 18 because I knew I had a two-shot lead and just hit an 80-yard lay-up and an 80-yard shot,” said Woad. “So I felt pretty confident coming down there. It was always nice to finish with a birdie. So just had like a two-footer, which is a nice length, so, yeah, happy.”
Rightly so and, in addition to her mum and dad, Rachel and Nick, there to see it were her granny Marian and auntie Sarah. “They are not Scottish,” she reported. “They live in Edinburgh. So I'm up here quite a bit.” Her aunty moved to Scotland after marrying a Scot, but Woad was unsure why her granny is up here. “Maybe Sarah, my aunt, is the favourite child and she wanted to be near her,” she joked.
Though five players started out on Sunday still in with a chance, it had turned into a two-horse race at the turn and, though Kim gave it a great go and deserved to end up as the bridesmaid, there was no denying that Woad never looked under any pressure and, moreover, never wobbled at any point.
“Yeah, it might have looked less stressful than maybe it was at times, but I think I only had like three bogeys,” said Woad of her week’s work. “On links golf, it's definitely about bogey avoidance. That was probably the key to winning.”
As was her wedge play, which was stunning from 120 yards in and also around the green, where she opted to take a club with loft on it rather than a putter. “My wedges have always been a strength, and my approaches in general, I can usually rely on it and control the spin pretty nicely,” she said, smiling.
After signing off with a best-of-the-day 65, Spaniard Julia Lopez Ramirez shared third spot with Korean Sei Young Kim on 14 under, with Nelly Korda finishing a further stroke behind in fifth spot.
Borders-born Karis Davidson, who now represents Australia, finished joint-21st on five under, with Gemma Dryburgh picking up the Jock MacVicar Trophy as leading Scot, though a tie for 65th would have been a disappointing finish after digging deep to card a second-round 67 to make the cut.
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