Amateur Lottie Woad on track to earn LPGA card at Amundi Evian and maybe a major title
The Englishwoman is once again in the mix after two rounds of the Amundi Evian Championship and, after a runaway victory on the LET last week in Ireland, winning a major certainly doesn't seem out of reach for the world's best amateur. After a 2-under 69, she's 5 under for the championship and five back of leader Somi Lee.
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A top-25 finish would give Woad the last two points needed to get to 20 and earn immediate LPGA membership. She's already secured her 19th point by making the cut. Not surprisingly, Woad is looking for more than the 20th point.
"I feel like if you focus ahead, it's much easier than if you think top 25," said Woad, "it's quite easy to slip out of that."
Lottie Woad answers questions at her news conference ahead of the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Woad would become the first player to graduate from the tour's new LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program. When the LPGA first announced the program, officials noted that had the system been in place in prior years, only three players would've gotten to 20 points: Lydia Ko, Leona Maguire and Rose Zhang.
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Woad, who has one year of eligibility remaining at Florida State, could make her pro debut at the AIG Women's British Open next month, which she qualified for via a top-10 finish last year at St. Andrews.
The 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur champion walked off the golf course on Friday frustrated by the number of putts she left short throughout the round. Birdies on Nos. 16 and 18 certainly helped.
"I feel like I'm feeling pretty confident after last week; know I'm playing well," said Woad. "You need to be confident around this golf course. It's pretty tight off the tee and some tricky pins. You just got to play like that."
South Korea's Lee carded a second-round 65 to put herself at 10 under and in position to win for a second consecutive start, one shot ahead of Australia's Grace Kim. Two weeks ago at the Dow Championship, Lee broke through with her first LPGA title playing alongside compatriot Jin Hee Im. Lee also recently tied for eighth at the taxing KPMG Women's PGA in Frisco, Texas.
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"I think first this course is so beautiful, but, you know, green is so tricky," said Lee, "so I'm just practice distance. I'm just focus just distance. Miss left, miss right, never mind. Just distance is it perfect."
World No. 1 Nelly Korda fought back from a brutal start that saw her 4 over through her first seven holes. She battled back with an eagle on the 18th (her ninth) followed by birdies on Nos. 4, 6 and 9 to shoot 70 and get to 5 under for the tournament.
She's joined there by three-time major winner Minjee Lee, who was five over through her first six holes but fought back to get to even par for the day.
Jeeno Thitikul, the best player on tour without a major, sits four back after a bogey-free 68.
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This article originally appeared on Golfweek: No. 1 amateur on track to earn LPGA card at Amundi Evian, trails by 5
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