Rory McIlroy makes strong start on day three to climb The Open leaderboard
He was true to his word with a brilliant 36-foot curling putt at the first, made possible by hitting the opening fairway for the first time this week, and his longest putt of the week produced a determined but understated clenched fist celebration.
Rory's in red.
He's away with a birdie on the 1st. pic.twitter.com/CBtyjvZ2mx
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025
The Masters champion has the power to reach the 575-yard second into the wind in two and duly did so with an approach to 27ft from the right rough.
He could not hole his eagle attempt but settled for a birdie, with a brilliant approach to seven feet at the par-four fourth gaining him another shot to get within four of 10-under leader Scheffler, who had still to take to the course alongside England's Matt Fitzpatrick.
Up ahead of him, Russell Henley was putting together a decent round with five birdies and an eagle, with only one bogey, through 12 holes to also get to six under.
Magic on 13.
It's a hole-in-one for John Parry. pic.twitter.com/uNw5j9JMyP
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025
Former US Open champion Wyndham Clark shot a five-under-par 66 to get himself to five under.
The highlight of Yorkshireman John Parry's day was holing a 199-yard eight iron for an ace at the 13th in a round of 67 which saw him finish three under.
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Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Lottie Woad fires final-round 68 to claim victory on her professional debut
The 21-year-old former world number one amateur from Surrey finished with a final round score of 68 after four days of competition at Dundonald Links. It was Woad's first victory since turning professional earlier in July. She entered the final round with a two-stroke lead and made birdies on the second, third, 13th and 14th before hitting a bogey on the 16th. Lottie Woad wins the @Womens_Scottish on her professional debut 🏆#WSO25 — Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) July 27, 2025 Woad made par on the 17th before a pinpoint approach set up a birdie on the 18th to wrap up the title. She becomes the first player to win on their professional Ladies European Tour debut since Singapore's Shannon Tan at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open in February 2024. Woad said on Sky Sports: 'It's a pretty good outcome, I guess! Definitely wasn't expecting to win my first event, but I knew I was playing well so I was kind of hoping to contend. 'I played really solid today. It was pretty nice in the end, could lay up on the par five. 'Links golf is really fun, don't get to play it too often. This is my first time playing links golf since the Open last year. I wasn't exactly sure how it would go, but it went fine!' Woad won the Women's Scottish Open on her professional debut (Steve Welsh/PA) Woad finished three shots ahead of second-placed Kim Hyo-joo, who fired seven birdies and three bogeys in a mixed fourth round. Julia Lopez Ramirez and Kim Sei-young shared third on 14 under, with world number one Nelly Korda a shot back in fifth. English duo Alice Hewson and Charley Hull finished tied for 10th and 21st, respectively. Attention now turns to the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl, which begins on Thursday. Looking ahead to that tournament, Woad added: 'Even if I hadn't won this week, I'd still be trying to win it and just trying to be up there really is all you can ask for going into the final day.'
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Lottie Woad fires final-round 68 to claim victory on her professional debut
The 21-year-old former world number one amateur from Surrey finished with a final round score of 68 after four days of competition at Dundonald Links. It was Woad's first victory since turning professional earlier in July. She entered the final round with a two-stroke lead and made birdies on the second, third, 13th and 14th before hitting a bogey on the 16th. Lottie Woad wins the @Womens_Scottish on her professional debut 🏆#WSO25 — Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) July 27, 2025 Woad made par on the 17th before a pinpoint approach set up a birdie on the 18th to wrap up the title. She becomes the first player to win on their professional Ladies European Tour debut since Singapore's Shannon Tan at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open in February 2024. Woad said on Sky Sports: 'It's a pretty good outcome, I guess! Definitely wasn't expecting to win my first event, but I knew I was playing well so I was kind of hoping to contend. 'I played really solid today. It was pretty nice in the end, could lay up on the par five. 'Links golf is really fun, don't get to play it too often. This is my first time playing links golf since the Open last year. I wasn't exactly sure how it would go, but it went fine!' Woad won the Women's Scottish Open on her professional debut (Steve Welsh/PA) Woad finished three shots ahead of second-placed Kim Hyo-joo, who fired seven birdies and three bogeys in a mixed fourth round. Julia Lopez Ramirez and Kim Sei-young shared third on 14 under, with world number one Nelly Korda a shot back in fifth. English duo Alice Hewson and Charley Hull finished tied for 10th and 21st, respectively. Attention now turns to the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl, which begins on Thursday. Looking ahead to that tournament, Woad added: 'Even if I hadn't won this week, I'd still be trying to win it and just trying to be up there really is all you can ask for going into the final day.'
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Lottie Woad wins the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open
With another performance of purpose and poise over a testing, gusty Dundonald Links, the unflappable Woad marked her first event as a professional with victory in the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open. Over 72-holes, Woad leaked just three shots and her closing four-under 68 gave her a 21-under aggregate and a three-shot win over Hyo Joo Kim of Korea. After her six-shot victory as an amateur at the Women's Irish Open at the start of July, as well as a third-place finish in a major at the Evian Championship the following week, this was another significant statement of intent from a truly special talent. As she marched off the final green, having put the tin lid on another thrilling conquest, she was greeted with a triumphant skirl of the pipes. Perhaps a rehashing of a tune from the Beethoven collection would've been more appropriate. Woad to Joy, anyone? No, I thought not. A week ago at The Open, we were all waxing lyrical about the calm, composed feats of a man called Scottie. On Sunday at Dundonald, it was a Lottie that everybody was talking about after her serene march to glory. Leading by two heading into the final round, Woad staved off the menacing advances of Kim with a terrific display of frontrunning golf. Even when Kim drew level at the top for a spell, Woad remained unflustered and upped the ante with a clinical burst of back-to-back birdies as she neared the closing stretch. 'It's very special to win in my first event as a professional and it's quite hard to do that,' said the former world amateur No 1. 'Everyone was chasing me today, but I managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch. 'I'd played a lot of majors and pro events before this, so it wasn't all new. Those experiences helped.' The final day developed into a two-horse race as Woad and the experienced Kim separated themselves from the rest. Woad cemented her place at the top with a couple of birdies at the second and third while Kim, playing in the match ahead, made a telling thrust with four birdies in her opening seven holes to bolster her assault on the title. A major winner back in 2014, and a multiple champion on both the LPGA Tour and her native Korean circuit down the years, Kim tried her best to put the pressure on as she nibbled into Woad's advantage. Not that Woad paid much attention to her push, mind you. 'I didn't really know the score for most of the back nine,' admitted Woad. Having briefly manoeuvred her way into a share of the lead just after the turn, Kim's hopes suffered a damaging dunt as she stumbled to a brace of bogeys at 15 and 16. Woad's little flurry of birdies gave her a three-shot lead and despite spilling her only shot of the day on the 16th, the former Curtis Cup player didn't let that slip faze her. With a two-shot cushion playing the last, Woad plotted her way safely up the fairway then flicked a wedge into a couple of feet of the flag to set up a birdie which gilded the lily. '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,' she said of her stress-free meander up the closing par-5. 'I felt pretty confident coming down there.' During her shimmering summer, Woad has forfeited around £480,000 in prize money due to her amateur status. Now that she's a professional, she could finally shove a cheque into her pocket. 'I don't even know what the winner gets,' she said with a smile. How does £223,000 sound, Lottie? 'A lot of people have talked about me not winning any money,' she added. 'I knew going into all the events (as an amateur) that I wasn't going to win any money. It didn't make too much difference. 'I knew if I kept playing how I was, then it would all work out.' Kim's 68 gave her second place on 18-under, four shots ahead of Julia Lopez Ramirez and Sei Young Kim who shared third. Nelly Korda, the world No 1 who was making her first appearance in the Women's Scottish Open, signed off with a 71 for 13-under while Gemma Dryburgh, the only Scot to make the cut, finished down the field on seven-over. All roads now lead to Porthcawl for this week's AIG Women's Open, the final major of the season. Woad will hurtle into south Wales on the crest of a wave.
