
Golf star wins tournament by six shots but sees £58k prize money go to runner-up
A golfing sensation who won a tournament by six strokes has been denied the £58,000 top prize due to her amateur status. English golfer Lottie Woad put on a masterclass to secure her first Ladies European Tour title, dominating the KPMG Women's Irish Open for an easy win.
The 21-year-old made history as the first amateur player in three years to triumph on the Ladies European Tour, finishing on an impressive 21-under and only hitting four bogeys across the four rounds. However, she won't see a penny of the prize money for her remarkable performance, with the top prize instead going to the runner-up.
This is because the LPGA prospect's amateur status prohibits her from pocketing any winnings. If Woad held her tour card, she would've walked away five figures richer for her efforts.
Instead, Swedish star Madelene Sagstrom will be laughing all the way to the bank. Woad, currently the world's top-ranked amateur player, made six birdies and two bogeys in the final round.
She broke 70 across all four rounds to become the first amateur player to win since Czech Jana Melichova clinched the 2022 Czech Ladies Open. She kicked off with an impressive round of 68 before delivering back-to-back rounds of 67.
Woad entered the final day with a seven-shot lead and showed no signs of letting it slip. She birdied two of her opening four holes and then offset a disappointing bogey on the fifth hole by nailing another birdie on the eighth.
It's hardly the first time Woad has made headlines as an amateur. She won the 2022 Girls Amateur Championship, then followed that up with victory at the Augusta National Women's Amateur last year.
Despite clinching victory with a six-shot lead, Woad remains unswayed by the prospect of turning professional: "No, I'm not tempted to turn pro yet. 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. It means a lot to get the win.
"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 [the] Evian [Championship] next week.
"It felt pretty comfortable overall. There were a few moments at the start of the back nine that could've gone wrong but I hung in there and finished with some nice birdies."
She also detailed a key moment that aided her composure in the final round: "As soon as I birdied the second hole, holed a nice 12-footer there, it settled me in. I hit some good shots today, maybe didn't hole as many putts as the other days, but it was pretty stress-free in the end."
The Florida State University student is biding her time before hitting the big time. And it's hard to argue with the logic considering she's now starting to make an impression in LPGA circles.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Anglo-Welsh league moves close if Wales cuts to two teams in new twist
Anglo-Welsh league moves close if Wales cuts to two teams in new twist Talks have been happening behind the scenes and it is thought two Welsh teams would be welcome to join England's best An Anglo-Welsh league could be back on the table (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) An Anglo-Welsh league is on the table if the Welsh Rugby Union can reduce the number of professional clubs in Wales from four to two, WalesOnline has learnt. The professional game in Wales is set for its biggest transformation since the inception of regional rugby in 2003, with a reduction from four to two clubs the current direction of travel. An Anglo-Welsh league has been the preference of Welsh rugby powerbrokers for quite some time and it is now a very real possibility. Sources in England have told WalesOnline there is a strong desire within the English game to add two extra teams to the Gallagher Premiership, with both PRL and the Rugby Football Union in favour of including a couple of Welsh clubs. PRL considered a merger with the United Rugby Championship last season which would have created an Anglo-Welsh conference but opted against it. English rugby is also set for significant change with the Premiership set to turn into a franchise league with a centralisation of commercial deals and relegation scrapped. After London Irish, Wasps and Worcester Warriors went to the wall a few years ago the Premiership has had to rethink its strategy and it hopes the new franchise model would make the league more financially secure while also giving it the best chance of attracting new investment. Article continues below There are talks under way to transfer two Welsh clubs out of the United Rugby Championship and into the Premiership. A move to the Premiership would be transformational for Welsh rugby and would almost certainly lead to an increase in interest, crowds, a better TV deal along with the potential to attract more lucrative sponsors and investment than if they remained in the URC. The WRU and its four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - are currently working hard behind the scenes to come up with a solution. Following the Ospreys and Scarlets' decision not to sign the new Professional Rugby Agreement following the WRU's acquisition of Cardiff the future of the professional game has been thrown into question. There is an acceptance across the board that things cannot continue as they are with retaining the status quo no longer a viable option. The men's national side have lost a record 18 Test matches in a row with last Saturday's 24-19 defeat against a poor Japan side arguably Wales' worst defeat since the game turned professional. This shocking run of results will have serious financial ramifications for the game in Wales and the WRU's priority is to create a structure whereby the national side can start winning regularly again. There is agreement across the board that young Welsh players need to be playing in teams who are regularly competing and winning big European knockout games. To do this it is estimated there will need to be playing budgets of at least £9m with significant investment into the academies, the pathway and Super Rygbi Cymru. This cannot be achieved with four teams and a concentration of talent should uplift standards across the board and potentially lead to Wales being granted entry to an Anglo-Welsh league. Were the WRU to pull its teams out of the URC it could potentially be liable to fines from the competition but this is not certain. As exclusively revealed by WalesOnline last month one potential option the URC are looking at is bringing in two American franchises based out of Chicago and Miami, while Georgian outfit Black Lion and South African side the Cheetahs are other potential options. Article continues below But if the URC was to go down the US route it is expected to be extremely lucrative which would offset the potential loss of the Welsh sides. Any change to the number of professional teams in Wales or a potential change of competition is targeted for the 2026/27 season.


Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Scotsman
Scotland's Lions fears intensify - Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones deserve Test chance but others now ahead
Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As Andy Farrell noted, there is still time for Lions hopefuls to 'play themselves in and play themselves out' of Test selection, but those not included in the team to face the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday are entitled to start fretting. The widely held perception is that the side Farrell named on Monday will be very similar to the one which takes the field against Australia in Brisbane on July 19. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If so, that's bad news for the bulk of the Scots on tour, with only Blair Kinghorn and Finn Russell from the eight-strong tartan contingent picked to play the Brumbies. The team is dominated by Ireland and England players who supply 21 of the match-day 23, 12 Irish and nine English. Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotus started together for the British & Irish Lions against the NSW Waratahs in Sydney. | Getty Images The most startling omissions from a Scottish perspective are those of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, but is there a danger in reading too much into Farrell's latest centre picks? The head coach has gone for the Ireland combination of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose for the Brumbies game, a duo he knows inside and out to use a centre analogy. Jones is the tour's top try-scorer Tuipulotu and Jones started together in Saturday's laboured win over the Waratahs in what was the most turgid Lions performance since they arrived in Australia. There was a lack of sparkle against opponents who raised their game but Tuipulotu and Jones emerged with some credit, particularly the latter. Jones scored two tries, one of them created adroitly by Tuipulotu, and is now the tour's top try-scorer on three. His double against the Waratahs came in the first half but unlike the previous games against Western Force and the Queensland Reds when they racked up 50-plus points, the Lions didn't press home their advantage in the second half on a frustrating evening in which the required accuracy was missing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Huw Jones scores the second of his two tries against the Waratahs. | Getty Images And so Farrell has turned to Aki and Ringrose. If you include the Argentina send-off game, it is the fifth different centre pairing selected by the Lions and the one with which Farrell is most familiar and probably most comfortable. It was his go-to combination at the last World Cup and it wouldn't be a surprise if the coach felt this was an area of his team where familiarity could give them an edge. Tuipulotu: only five-and-a-half games since injury If Farrell is swithering between all-Scottish and all-Irish pairings, the smart money would be on the latter - the Brumbies game has long been identified as the dress rehearsal for the first Test at Suncorp. There is one more game after the Brumbies and before the showdown with the Wallabies a week on Saturday and that is against an Invitational AU & NZ side this weekend. The suspicion remains that Farrell will rest his big guns for that one but it does offer a last opportunity for those on the periphery of Test selection to stake a claim. It feels as if Tuipulotu in particular is in need of a big game. The Glasgow Warriors man has played only five-and-a-half matches since returning from the pectoral injury which caused him to miss the Six Nations. Three of those have been for the Lions and he now finds himself in a straight fight with Aki for the No 12 Test jersey. At 35, Aki has the edge in experience and possesses formidable power but Tuipulotu has more guile and is certainly no slouch when it comes to physicality. Much is made of his understanding with Jones and rightly so because it is a pairing capable of opening up the meanest of defences. But when it comes to impressing Farrell, time is short for Test-match hopefuls and the stodgy fare served up by the Lions in Sydney is unlikely to have done the Huwipulotu combo many favours, even if Jones did weigh in with a brace. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The half-back situation is more clear-cut. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell will start against the Brumbies and it would be a major surprise if they didn't do likewise in the first Test. Russell in particular has been the outstanding candidate in his position and nothing Fin Smith did at the weekend would give Farrell cause to look beyond the Scot. Meanwhile, Marcus Smith, the other fly-half in the squad, has yet to start a game at 10 which is telling. Finn Russell (R) and Jamison Gibson-Park celebrate after the Lions' victory over the Queensland Reds. | Getty Images Sticking with the backline, and Kinghorn may just have timed his run to perfection. The Scotland full-back missed the Lions games against Argentina, Western Force and Queensland Reds due to the late finish to the French season. But having helped Toulouse to another Top 14 title, Kinghorn has arrived in camp brimming with confidence. Winger's chances of facing Wallabies are receding He started on the wing against the Waratahs and although he didn't see a lot of the ball, he showed good awareness and is rewarded with the full-back's jersey against the Brumbies. If he impresses on Wednesday he will surely keep it for the first Test. Duhan van der Merwe's chances of facing the Wallabies appear to be receding, however. The Edinburgh wing started all three Tests against South Africa four years ago but it is Tommy Freeman and James Lowe who now look in pole position, with Mack Hansen as back-up. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Van der Merwe started against Argentina and the Reds and came off the bench in the Waratahs game but hasn't quite recaptured his Scotland form thus far. Blair Kinghorn started on the wing for the Lions against the Waratahs but will be at full-back for the Brumbies game. | Getty Images Like Kinghorn, Ben White was late to the party - an injury replacement for the unfortunate Tomos Williams - but the Scotland No 9 is behind Gibson-Park and Alex Mitchell in the scrum-half pecking order. Up front, Scotland are represented by Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings but neither is in the 23 for Wednesday's match in Canberra. Schoeman, the Edinburgh loosehead, has a lot to do if he is to be picked ahead of either Ellis Genge or Andrew Porter in Farrell's Test 23. Cummings, meanwhile, struggled with the restarts in the Western Force match but played well against the Waratahs and has an outside chance of making the bench against Australia in Brisbane where Maro Itoje and Joe McCarthy are certain starters in the second row.


Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Andy Carroll linked with shock return to English football with transfer to SIXTH TIER side who's only just turned pro
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ANDY CARROLL has been linked with a shock move back to England — in the SIXTH TIER. The ex-Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham forward left French side Bordeaux at the end of the season and is yet to confirm his next destination. 3 Andy Carroll could signed up for a move to the English sixth-tier Credit: AFP Now it's emerged Chelmsford City, of the National League South, are eyeing a stunning approach. Chelmsford boss Angelo Harrop was coy when asked by the Non-League Paper about reports of a potential move for the 36-year-old. Harrop said: "No comment." He then added: "I am really happy with what we have got in. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL BACK TO ROO IN THE STUDIO Wayne Rooney lands £800,000 deal to be Match of the Day pundit "We have got real quality, a lot of youth, a lot of players [who are] really hungry, which is great. "We have got a brand new squad so we have got to knit together very quickly, but Rome was not built in a day. "The football club has already made massive strides in the last two months." Chelmsford are a team in transition, having brought Harrop onboard in March amid a summer transition towards becoming a full-time professional outfit. Andy Carroll's career path Carroll's meteoric rise might not have lived up to expectations, but it has been a career full of twists and turns 2006 - Begins to break through with the senior team as a teenager at Newcastle 2011 - Joins Liverpool for a club record fee of £35million 2013 - Leaves Liverpool for West Ham for just £15million 2019 - Returns to Newcastle after a long but inconsistent spell in East London 2021 - Joins Reading following the expiry of his Newcastle contract 2022 - Leaves Reading for a short spell with West Brom, but quickly returns to the Royals 2023 - Moves abroad for the first time in his career with second division French side Amiens SC 2024 - Makes headlines by joining fourth-tier French side Bordeaux following their relegation over financial issues, plays for less than minimum wage 2025 - Departs Bordeaux amicably and is linked with a return to the English game JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS They finished 11th of 24 teams in the National League South last season. But now the Clarets have their sights set higher — and a marquee signing like Carroll could help. Andy Carroll and Lou Teasdale kiss and make up in £38,000 posh Glasto camp as they snog and hold hands after Greece bust-up 3 It would be the first time Carroll has played in his native country since leaving Reading for Amiens in 2023 Credit: Getty 3 Carroll broke through at his local Newcastle United before becoming Liverpool's record transfer in 2011 Credit: Getty Carroll has developed a penchant for playing in lower leagues of late, having most recently plied his trade with Bordeaux in the fourth tier of French football after their relegation due to financial issues. He netted 11 times in 23 appearances in France before his departure from the club was confirmed in June. A Bordeaux statement cited Carroll wanting to be closer to his family as his reason for leaving, suggesting any future clubs would have to be closer to home for the Gateshead native. Carroll was reported to be earning just £1,372 a month while at Bordeaux, hinting that sides with limited resources could still be in the mix should the right project catch the striker's eye.