Anna Foster eyes another big finish at Women's Irish Open as amateur Lottie Woad roars seven clear at Carton House

Irish Independent

05-07-2025

World amateur number one Woad (21) matched the Elm Park star's 67 to extend her her three-shot overnight lead to seven strokes over Swedish Solheim Cup star Madelene Sagstrom on 17-under and put herself in position to add a professional win to her Augusta National Women's Amateur victory last year.
Foster (23) started the day tied for 25th on one-under before blasting nine birdies in an impressive effort to go into the final round tied for ninth on seven-under.
After arriving in Co Kildare on a high after notching a career-best tied fourth finish in last week's German Masters, she's looking to move up the Order of Merit from 31st but knows she can't get ahead of herself.
'I think I've just been able to stay patient throughout the year,' she said. 'I felt like I've been playing well for a good few weeks, just waiting for it all to click.
'And last week I found that it just kind of clicked so that definitely gave me a bit of confidence going into this week.'
After seeing birdie fours at the first and fourth erased by a double bogey at the fifth, Foster birdied the sixth, eighth and 10th before following a bogey at the 11th with four birdies in her last six holes, which included a 15 footer at the last.
'I just played really solid all day, and gave myself a lot of chances, and then I played the par fives really well,' Foster said.
'I was driving well and a long way today so that definitely gave me a little bit of an advantage on some holes. It just kind of felt like it was just solid day in general.'
The Dubliner had to dig deep in Friday's high winds to shoot 74 and make the cut and with her card all but secure, she felt she had the freedom to attack the O'Meara course in more benign conditions.
'Definitely satisfied,' she said. 'Yesterday, it was a grind. So it was nice to be able to go out today with a bit more like freedom and just be more aggressive.
'I was really happy I stayed really patient. You have to be patient out here, because, if you just kind of keep staying in the present, the birdie chances will come.
'Today, that's great. But I still have another round tomorrow, so the main focus now is on getting ready for that.'
Woad has made just one bogey in 54 holes and while Sagstrom shot 70, she's seven behind the leader with Australian Kirsten Rudgeley a shot further back after 71.
Woad won the Augusta National Women's Amateur last year and she has no plans to take her foot off the gas as she chases her first win in a professional event.
'I can't relax too much tomorrow,' said Woad. 'I just want to try and get off to a good start and and then just force everyone to try and catch me really.'
World number one Charley Hull is in a five-way tie for fourth on eight-under, nine off the lead, while Leona Maguire carded a three-under 70 to share 29th on two-under.
The Co Cavan star was happy with her round and hopes to build momentum for next week's major examination in the Amundi Evian Championship.
'Obviously it's very different weather here than we're going to get at the Evian so the priority is to get out of here with my swing intact in these winds,' Maguire explained.
'So we make sure we reset after these rounds and just keep it dialled in.
'Putting was was nice again today, which is good heading into a major so overall, I feel like I'm trending in the right direction heading into next week.'
Elm Park amateur Emma Fleming carded a level par 73 alongside European Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist to share 44th on level par while rookie Canice Screene shot a 76 to share 65th on five over as she looks to improve her status on tour and clinch a full LET card.