Lottie Woad wins Scottish Open on professional golf debut
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England's Lottie Woad won the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three strokes.
PHOTO: AFP
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Ayrshire – Two weeks ago, Lottie Woad was the world’s No. 1 amateur. On July 27, the 21-year-old Englishwoman became an LPGA Tour champion on her professional debut.
She won the Women’s Scottish Open by three strokes, matching her age at 21-under 267 after closing with a four-under 68 at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire.
“It’s a pretty good outcome, I guess,” she said. “Definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event, but I knew I was playing well.”
Woad capped a remarkable month with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-five 18th hole. She won the Women’s Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour as an amateur on July 6 and missed a play-off by one shot the following week at the Evian Championship Major before deciding to skip her senior season at Florida State University and turn pro
Woad, who held the lead after the second and third rounds, started strong on July 27 with birdies at the second and third holes. After nine consecutive pars, she birdied Nos. 13 and 14 before a lone bogey at the par-four 16th.
“There aren’t that many scoreboards out there, to be honest,” she said. “I knew it was probably quite tight because I was only a couple under at the turn, but then when I had the two birdies early on the back nine, I knew I’d gotten a bit of a lead by then.”
She matched the rare accomplishment by American Rose Zhang, who in June 2023 became the first player in 72 years to win on her LPGA Tour debut at the Americas Open. The late Beverly Hanson won the Eastern Open on her debut in 1951.
Woad collected US$300,000 (S$385,000) for her first pro payout and will carry a mountain of momentum into this week’s fifth and final Major, the Women’s British Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.
“Trying to just be up there really,” she said of her expectations for this week after tying for 10th in 2024 at St Andrews. “That’s all you can ask for.”
South Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo matched Woad’s 68 on July 27 to finish in solo second at 18-under 270. She reached 20 under with a birdie at the 14th but fell back with consecutive bogeys at Nos. 15 and 16.
Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez shot the round of the day with a 65 to end tied-third at 274 with South Korea’s Kim Sei-young (73), who closed with a costly double-bogey at the 18th.
“My game was in a very good place, very consistent,” Lopez said. “I played under par every day. I think honestly that’s a success and growing my game, and I’m excited for having the opportunity to play next week and to show up again.”
World No. 1 Nelly Korda (71) claimed fifth place at 275. Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (76) began the day tied for second but slipped to sixth at 277 after a triple-bogey at the final hole.
Meanwhile, Kurt Kitayama birdied six of the first eight holes then hung on down the stretch to win the 3M Open on July 27 for his second career PGA Tour title.
With his older brother Daniel serving as his caddie, the 32-year-old American fired a six-under 65 to finish on 23-under 261 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
That was good enough for a one-stroke victory over countryman Sam Stevens (66), who had five back-nine birdies to keep the pressure on Kitayama to the finish. REUTERS, AFP
