Can golf sensation Lottie Woad win her first major as a pro?

Times

6 days ago

It is a measure of how highly regarded Lottie Woad is that the world No1, Nelly Korda, has tipped her as a genuine contender to win the season's final major at Royal Porthcawl, saying the 21-year-old Englishwoman is at the top of her game.What makes Korda's confidence more remarkable is that Woad has been a professional golfer for less than a fortnight. She was still an amateur when she won the Irish Open by six shots at the start of the month and then finished third in the Amundi Evian Championship — another of the women's majors. Last week's Scottish Open was her first tournament as a professional, and she pulled off a brilliant three-stroke triumph, confirming her status as the most exciting British talent in golf — men's or women's.
Already ranked inside the world's top 30, at No24, her increasingly high profile has been recognised in the draw for the AIG Women's Open, which starts on Thursday — her playing group includes two multiple major champions in New Zealand's Lydia Ko and Lilia Vu from the United States.
Korda, who played alongside Woad for the first two rounds at Dundonald last week, was impressed by her composure and her attention to the process. 'She was absolutely amazing,' Korda, 27, said.
'When it comes to her shot routine, especially under pressure and in the heat of the moment, some players seem to fidget and doubt themselves. But she stuck to the process every single time and one of the main things I noticed is how mature she is and how comfortable she is in the heat of the moment.
'You can see she's put a ton of hours in, as we all do, and her putting is very solid, her game is solid and she hits it pretty far off the tee. She grew up in this kind of weather too, so is used to rough conditions.'
Woad, who comes from Farnham, Surrey, but moved to the US to play college golf, said she would probably buy a car with her £220,000 Scottish Open winnings, although she does need to pass her US driving test. The former Florida State University student also has a weakness for Cadbury's chocolate and will probably stock up before returning to her base in Tallahassee.
Her stunning run of results at such a young age marks her out as a special prospect by any standards. Calm, shy and understated, Woad allowed herself a wry comment on X after her successful professional debut, posting: 'I guess that's a pretty good first week at work.'
Always happy to play any sport involving a ball, Woad played football until she was 12, turning out for the boys' team at school and enjoying a stint at Southampton's academy. She still loves football and is an avid fan of the Lionesses but, forced to make a choice, she committed to golf.
Amateur honours flowed, among them the 2022 Girls Amateur Championship. Her breakthrough on a major stage came in April last year, when she won the Augusta Women's National Amateur with birdies in three of the last four holes to clinch a thrilling victory.
Rising to No1 in the world amateur rankings, she took full advantage of exemptions to the majors and can already boast two top-ten finishes in the seven she has played.
She says coping with ever-growing expectations is a learning process, adding: 'I don't think you ever fully handle it. I definitely feel like I've got a lot better at it. I just try to block out the noise as much as possible.'
Making the transition from amateur golf to the daunting pressures of the professional scene is not for the faint-hearted. As a newly minted pro Woad has already impressed, but there will almost certainly be tough times ahead to negotiate — and no one knows this better than Rose Zhang, who blazed an almost identical trail to Woad by winning on her LPGA professional debut in 2023.
The 22-year-old Stanford University student has continued her studies and graduates in March but confesses that the weight of expectation can be frustrating.
Zhang added: 'I'd advise her to ride the wave during this special time, because things will slow down. I think she's a robot on the course: quiet, steady and doesn't let things get ahead of her. Neither does she show much emotion.
'She should be very proud of herself and recognise that she's achieved something very special. Protecting her time well will help give her a good head start.'
Meanwhile it will be business as usual for Woad this week. 'Obviously there's always pressure but I don't think there's any more than there was, from my perspective, before the last few weeks. Still wanting to contend, that's the aim,' she said.
Royal PorthcawlStarts ThursdayTV Sky Sports Golf