Lottie Woad produced her “Hello, world” moment Sunday in Ireland, if she hadn’t already.
The World No. 1 amateur, who has won plenty over the past two years, including the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, dominated a professional event for the first time, winning the KPMG Women’s Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour by a whopping six shots.
The 21-year-old from England took a seven-shot lead into the final round at Carton House in County Kildare, shot 69 and won easily. She ended the week shooting 68-67-67-69 for a 21-under-par 271 total. Madelene Sagstrom, a two-time winner on the LPGA, was second.
“It means a lot to get the win,” Woad said. “Obviously, I had a big lead coming into today, but I still had to really focus as I was being chased by some really good players. I’m happy to get it done. It’s perfect. I feel like I’m playing well, and I hope to continue that into Evian next week.”
There was little stress for Woad on this typical Irish afternoon. She birdied two of the first four holes and showed no nerves. There was a bogey at the fifth hole, but birdies at eight and 13 kept her well in front for an easy march home.
On the par-5 17th hole, Woad was 65 yards short of the pin in two shots and hit a wedge shot from the left rough to two inches for the easy birdie. Television commentators said, “She’s showing off now.”
The field included long-time European Solheim Cup stalwarts Sagstrom (second), Charley Hull (fourth), Anna Nordqvist (T-20), Georgia Hall (T-37) and Ireland’s Leona Maguire (T-48). The last amateur to win on the LET was Jana Melichova in 2022 at the Czech Ladies Open. Lydia Ko won the 2013 New Zealand Women’s Open as an amateur when she was 15.
Woad will likely have a difficult decision to make in the next month. She’s dominated amateur golf for two years, including the aforementioned ANWA win, five victories at Florida State and just completed a junior season where she didn’t finish worse than third until she tied for eighth place at the NCAA Championship. Last year she tied for 10th place to earn low amateur honors at the AIG Women’s Open at the Old Course in St. Andrews.
This victory in Ireland didn’t earn LEAP points for Woad. The LPGA’s Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) just started this year and is a program for top amateurs to earn their respective way to the LPGA quicker. Twenty points are needed to earn LPGA status and Woad has 18. But she is set to collect four points next month when she is essentially guaranteed to win the McCormack Medal, given to the top amateur after the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
When that happens, Woad can then either accept LPGA membership for the rest of this year and next, skipping her senior season at Florida State, or she could return to Tallahassee and defer her LPGA card until next season.
“No, I’m not tempted to turn pro yet,” she said. “I’m still trying to get my final two points for the LPGA. I’m trying to get those and then we will see what happens after that.”
Woad now heads to the next LPGA major, the Amundi Evian Championship in France next week, where, all of a sudden, she will be among the handful of players to watch.
