Triple bogey deals huge blow to Lottie Woad's hopes of first major

Telegraph

2 days ago

In these stunning settings on the South Wales coast, Lottie Woad was picking up birdies with as much ease and lust as the surfers in the adjacent Rest Bay were catching waves.
Yet then came wipeout at the Women's Open and the triple-bogey that the Englishwoman fears could have done for her ambition of winning on her first major start as a pro.
Woad – the remarkable 21-year-old who was installed as the favourite following victory in her debut event in the paid ranks, the Women's Scottish Open, last Sunday – reeled off six birdies in a nine-hole stretch and was in the top five when she reached the 16th.
Granted, Miyu Yamashita, the Japanese pacesetter, had pulled clear by carding a brilliant 65 to reach 11-under, but this is links golf and shots can disappear like confetti on the gusts and no advantage is safe. Alas, Woad, herself, was to learn this the hard way.
Her drive was straight and as she had managed to miss only one green in regulation to that point, Woad seemed well set, regardless of the demanding nature of the par four. However, she leaked her three wood to the right and from thick rough could only move it a few feet.
Woad was suddenly in an even worse lie and after two referees denied her relief under the 'embedded ball' rule, she was forced to take a penalty drop. From there, the seven was probably the best she could have hoped for, but she was understandably far from content, despite limiting the damage.
'I played really well for 17 holes and just that one hole cost me,' she said. 'Yeah, I was angry after that, but there was so much good stuff in there I didn't want that to ruin my day and it is a tough stretch and I was happy with how I recovered.'
Lottie Woad reacts to the incident on the 16th hole that resulted in a TRIPLE bogey 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/wprsD3a6IA
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Woad believes she 'needs something special' to thrust herself into contention, although considers herself 'probably to be a bit too far back'. That is not the Surrey phenom being defeatist, just realistic. Yamashita, 23, is a rookie on the LPGA Tour, but has achieved an extraordinary run of consistency on the Japanese Tour, recording 13 wins and 41 top 10s in the last four years.
She is up to 15th in the world rankings and with a runner-up finish in last year's Women's PGA Championship should be nobody's idea of a surprise victor. No doubt, Yamashita and the rest of early starters enjoyed the better conditions – with the winds increasingly notably in the afternoon – but this bogeyless 65 was three strokes better than Friday's next lowest round and handed a three-shot advantage over compatriot – and playing partner – Rio Takeda.
There is then a gaping four-shot margin back to American Lindy Duncan, Swiss Chiara Tamburlini and Thai Pajaree Anannarukarn in a tie for third, so if Woad can bring herself to discount the front two – and simply pray they come back to the chasing pack – she is still in touch. Indeed, Mother Nature had made Porthcawl so penal by day's end that Woad found herself in the top dozen and that will surely boost her confidence of success.
Woad is in good company, as on the same mark is world No 1 Nelly Korda, following a 72 and so is the home hope, Darcey Harry, after her own 72. Mimi Rhodes (one-under), Georgia Hall (level) and Charley Hull (level) also survived the cut. It was a courageous effort by Hull, particularly, as she played into the teeth of it and still compiled a 71. Certainly, another Swiss in Morgane Metraux was delighted by battling to the same number. 'Right now to score is pretty much impossible,' she said.