Amateur world No 1 Lottie Woad won the Smyth Salver award for finishing as the low amateur in her AIG Women's Open debut at St Andrews; the Augusta National Women's Amateur champion takes part in the Curtis Cup this week - live on Sky Sports from Friday
Thursday 29 August 2024 23:27, UK
Lottie Woad’s target ahead of her AIG Women's Open debut was simply to make it through to the weekend. She did that, and more, as she won the Smyth Salver award for finishing as the low amateur.
The 20-year-old was incredibly consistent around the Old Course at St Andrews - in hugely challenging, windy conditions, as she posted rounds of 72, 70, 72 and 73 to finish the week under par and just six strokes back from major champion Lydia Ko.
Woad equalled the best performance of the week by a European player and ended tied-10th, finishing further up the leaderboard than compatriots Georgia Hall and Charley Hull, with the latest impressive showing continuing a whirlwind year for the Augusta National Women's Amateur champion.
"It's been really great for me confidence-wise," Woad told reporters after enjoying a fine week at the Home of Golf. "Getting to play in all these events [majors] and playing well in a few of them has definitely given me a lot of confidence going into my next year of college. I have definitely learned a lot."
Sky Sports' Dame Laura Davies was suitably impressed with Woad's performance and believes she could one day be lifting a trophy of a different kind come the end of a Women's Open.
"I think one day you can swap the trophies almost," Davies said, referring to the site of her and Ko with trophies on the 18th green. "I can see Lottie Woad with the trophy. She's got the game for it. She had a rough patch but fought back and showed how good she is."
Former AIG Women's Open champion Hall agreed about Woad's potential, adding: "It doesn't surprise me at all. She's got a great swing and she's a really down-to-earth, genuine person, which I think is important. I think she's got a bright future for sure."
Woad could easily transition to the professional ranks but instead intends to remain an amateur for the foreseeable future as she continues college in the United States, meaning Great Britain and Ireland will go into the Curtis Cup this week at Sunningdale with the world amateur No 1 at their disposal.
"I don't think this [AIG Women's Open performance] will change anything," Woad explained. "I've still got a lot more things I want to work on. I'm in the AIG Women's Open and US Open next year, so I get to play those as an amateur and just learn more.
"I'm really looking forward to it [Curtis Cup]. It is one of the big goals that I think any amateur wants to play in and being near where I live, there's going to be a lot of supporters. It's one of my favourite golf courses in the world - I just love heathland courses. It's going to be really fun.
"I've played Sunningdale quite a bit, so I know the course. I'm hoping the weather is a little better than here so I can hit the ball in the air again after playing knock-down shots all week [AIG Women's Open]."
Woad will headline the Great Britain and Ireland team that is led by two-time Solheim Cup winning-captain Catriona Matthew, who is relishing the role the amateur star can have for the biennial clash against the United States.
"I think she'll be really important, just for the whole morale [of the team]," Matthew said. "They've all played with her, they know they can beat her but they know she's good. I think having that will just give them a bit more confidence as a team."
On what makes her so impressive, Matthew added: "It's just her all-around game. There's no real weakness. The main thing is she's mentally tough...someone who can dig deep and do it when they have to. There's no huge rush [to turn professional], I don't think. We all know golf you can have a long career."
Woad has past links success in the 2022 R&A Girls' Amateur at Carnoustie, where she claimed a 7&6 victory to join a list of champions including Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen and former AIG Women's Open champions Anna Nordqvist and Georgia Hall.
The Florida State University student has represented England in both the Arnold Palmer Cup and the Women's World Amateur Team Championship, while she is expected to play a key role for Great Britain and Ireland against the United States in the Curtis Cup later this month.
Woad made history in April when she won the Augusta National Women's Amateur in dramatic fashion, held at the home of The Masters, birdieing three of her last four holes to claim a one-shot victory and become the first European winner of the event.
That victory secured invites to four of the five majors this year, with Woad making an immediate impact when she finished tied-23rd - having been four off the halfway lead - on debut at the Chevron Championship.
She has also recorded second place finishes in the NCAA D1 Women's Championship, Florida State Match Up and Collegiate Invitational at GCC this season, leading to Woad become the first Englishwoman to ever top the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) earlier this summer.
Further major starts at the US Women's Open and Evian Championship have followed ahead of her appearance at the Home of Golf, while Woad has won the iconic Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading woman amateur in 2024.
The award guarantees her exemptions into the US Women's Open and the AIG Women's Open next season, with more opportunities likely to come Woad's way in the months and years ahead. A name we will see on leaderboards regularly in the future.
Watch Lottie Woad in action at the Curtis Cup from August 30-September 1, live on Sky Sports. Stream the women's majors and more sport with NOW.
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