England's Lottie Woad turns pro at age 21 and joins LPGA Tour
Lottie Woad shot a final-round 64 to share third at the Evian Championship in France on July 13.
MIAMI – England's Lottie Woad, coming off a victory at the Women's Irish Open and her best Major finish, said on July 15 that she has decided to turn professional and join the LPGA Tour.
The 21-year-old from Farnham became the world amateur No. 1 in June and became the first amateur since 2022 to win a Ladies European Tour event when she captured the Irish crown by six strokes on July 6.
On July 13, Woad shot a final-round 64 to share third at the Evian Championship in France, her best finish ever at a women's Major, setting the stage for her announcement on social media.
Woad's Major result was enough to qualify her for an LPGA membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) programme, becoming the first player to earn a spot that way.
'I am very excited to announce that I've decided to turn professional,' Woad posted on social media.
'I'm delighted to have secured a @LPGA card through the LEAP. I'm also happy to accept membership of the @LETgolf for 2026. Thank you to everyone who has helped me get to this position.'
It did not take her long to decide to accept pro status. After the final round at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 13, she said she planned to ponder her future.
'Just going to use next week at home with family and coaches to kind of discuss the options and then I'll decide after that,' she said.
'I've always wanted to play on the LPGA,' she continued. 'Whenever that is, it's going to be really fun and I just look forward to playing all the events.'
Woad is scheduled to make her professional debut at the Women's Scottish Open from July 24 to 27 at Dundonald Links, a berth she earned with her victory in Ireland.
She is also set to play in the Women's British Open, the final Major of the year. It will be played from July 31 to Aug 3 at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. Woad shared 10th in the 2024 edition at St Andrews.
Woad, whose triumphs include the 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur, had been playing for Florida State University.
The Englishwoman will forego her senior season at Florida State. She holds the Seminoles' record for career stroke average at 70.42.
Woad will have LPGA Tour status for the remainder of 2025 and all of 2026, but a tour statement said the remainder of her LPGA schedule for this season remains uncertain. AFP, REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Vos surges to opening stage win in Tour de France Femmes
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Road Cycling - Women's Road Race - Paris, France - August 04, 2024. Marianne Vos of Netherlands after crossing the line to win silver REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo Dutch rider Marianne Vos claimed a jaw-dropping 258th career victory when she prevailed in the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes, a 78.8-km hilly ride from Vannes to Plumelec on Saturday. The three-time road world champion, 38, prevailed at the top of the Cote de Cadoudal (1.7km at 6.2%) after her Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand Prevot cracked in the final metres to finish third behind Kim Le Court of Mauritius. While Ferrand Prevot could not convert, she showed impressive strength when she attacked 700 metres from the line, a move that underlined the mountain biking Olympic champion's title credentials. Vos, who will wear the yellow jersey in Sunday's second stage, surged past in the final 50 metres and raised her arm in celebration, just like Ferrand-Prevot. After a dozen riders were involved in a crash as the peloton rolled towards the start of the stage, Maud Rijnbeek and Laura Tomasi formed the day's breakaway. Rijnbeek went solo after 23 kilometres before Tomasi was swallowed by the peloton. Swiss rider Marlen Reusser was involved in another crash at the foot of the Cote de Cadoudal, a 1.7-km ascent at 6.2%. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Reusser, who finished second in the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta, later abandoned with stomach problems, her Movistar team said. Defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, who beat Demi Vollering by just four seconds last year, finished fourth in the same time as the winner. Vollering was fifth, three seconds behind. REUTERS
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Liverpool fans, Dalglish pay tribute to Jota in Hong Kong
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Soccer Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Liverpool v AC Milan - Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong, China - July 26, 2025 Liverpool fans hold up shirts in memory of Diogo Jota inside the stadium before the match HONG KONG - Liverpool supporters and their former forward and manager Kenny Dalglish led tributes to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva before a pre-season friendly against AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday. Ahead of kickoff, supporters raised a mosaic depicting "DJ 20" and Dalglish laid a wreath in memory of former Liverpool forward Jota, who died along with his brother in a car accident in Spain this month. The Liverpool players wore "Diogo J 20" patches on their shirts and black armbands. AC Milan winger Rafael Leao paid tribute to his Portugal teammate by making a "2" and "0" sign with his fingers after scoring an early goal in the Italian team's 4-2 win. Liverpool fan Zoe Leung and her family made a placard in Jota's memory. "I think Jota's death is sad and I was really shocked when I watched the news. I made this with my family to show some respect to Jota," the 24-year-old Leung said. Liverpool players will wear a "Forever 20" emblem on their shirts during the next Premier League season. Supporters can have "Diogo J. 20" printed on shirts in club stores, with the profits going to LFC Foundation, the club's official charity. Liverpool fans vastly outnumbered AC Milan supporters at the 50,000 capacity Kai Tak Stadium, many bringing placards, scarves, flags and banners to cheer on their team. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Liverpool travel to Japan next to take on Yokohama FM in the J League World Challenge on Wednesday. They begin their Premier League title defence at home to Bournemouth on August 15. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Groves avoids crash to win Tour Stage 20, Pogacar retains lead
Find out what's new on ST website and app. PONTARLIER, France - Australian Kaden Groves completed his set of grand tour stage wins when he prevailed on the Tour de France's penultimate ride, avoiding a crash on slippery roads before powering to a solo triumph on the 184.2km journey from Nantua on Saturday. Groves's bike-handling skills were on display when he managed to stay up as Spain's Ivan Romeo and France's Romain Gregoire skidded out of control in front of him on a wet descent 21 kilometres from the finish. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider then attacked from a reduced breakaway bunch and never looked back in the remaining 17 kilometres, bursting into tears in a mix of disbelief and exhaustion after the line. Groves, who gave his team their third victory in this year's Tour after Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel also won, has seven Vuelta and two Giro d'Italia stage wins to his name. Dutchman Frank van den Broek took second place, 54 seconds behind, with his compatriot Pascal Eenkhoorn third, five seconds further back. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar spent a quiet day in the main peloton and made another step towards a fourth Tour title as he retained his overall leader's yellow jersey with a 4:24 advantage over Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard. The final stage is a 132.3km ride from Mantes-la-Jolie to Paris, where the peloton will cycle up the famous Butte Montmartre three times before the final laps on the Champs-Elysees. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar
