Lottie Woad keeps 2-shot lead in Scotland and closes in on victory in pro debut on LPGA Tour
Lottie Woad keeps 2-shot lead in Scotland and closes in on victory in pro debut on LPGA Tour
IRVINE, Scotland (AP) — Lottie Woad had four birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn and posted a 5-under 67 on Saturday to maintain her two-shot lead in the Women’s Scottish Open as she closes in on victory in her professional debut.
Woad has such control of her game at Dundonald Links that she went 33 consecutive holes without a bogey until dropping a shot on the 15th.
Her lead was down to one shot, but the 21-year-old from England responded with a short wedge she played perfectly on the 17th, leaving her an 8-foot birdie putt she converted. A closing par put her at 17-under 199.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark, who caught Woad early with an eagle on the par-5 third hole, fell behind after Woad’s birdie streak. But the Dane rallied with three straight birdies and a couple of par saves for a 67.
She was two shots behind, along with Sei Young Kim (66), who made a long eagle putt on the 14th and got up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 closing hole to get within two shots.
Nelly Korda played bogey-free, but the American managed only two birdies on another relatively calm day by Scottish standards. Her 70 left her five shots behind Woad, who already has had a golden summer in Europe.
Woad, who won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2024 and rose to No. 1 in the women’s amateur ranking that year, won the Irish Women’s Open three weeks ago on the Ladies European Tour.
Then she missed the playoff by one shot in the Evian Championship. But her tie for third in the LPGA major earned her a tour card, and she decided to skip her senior year at Florida State and turn pro. And now she has a chance to win in her debut.
“That’s the aim, to shoot as low as possible and keep giving myself chances,” Woad said. “If someone shoots lights out, fair enough. I’m excited for the opportunity. I’ve got the experience and I’ll try to use that.”
Kim has 12 titles on the LPGA, including the Women’s PGA Championship in 2020 at Aronimink, though she is coming up on five years since her last win. She will be in final group Sunday with Woad and Madsen.
Korda, meanwhile, has a lot of ground to make up if she wants to end her surprising drought. She won seven times last season on the LPGA and still has yet to win this year.
“Wasn’t hitting it probably as good as I was the first two days,” Korda said. “I made some really good par saves and just didn’t really capitalize on some of my good shots. But that’s golf. That’s OK. I still have tomorrow.”
Woad will try to match Rose Zhang by winning on the LPGA in her pro debut. Zhang did that at Liberty National two years ago in the Mizuho Americas Open.
The Women’s Scottish Open is co-sanctioned by the LPGA and the LET.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
