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USA Today
3 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Lottie Woad? And how did she become the hottest player in women's golf?
Lottie Woad is the betting favorite to win the AIG Women's British Open in only her second week as a touring professional. If it seems like Woad's success happened overnight, it's really been more like a 15-month climb. The 21-year-old Englishwoman is the talk of Royal Porthcawl after becoming only the third player in the LPGA's 75-year history to win in her first start as an LPGA member, joining former world No. 1 Jin Young Ko (2018) and Beverly Hanson (1951). How did Woad become the hottest player in women's golf? Here's a look back: Woad finds spotlight at Augusta National The first time most golf fans heard the name Lottie Woad was at the 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur, when the lion-hearted college sophomore delivered a finish for the ages. After USC's Bailey Shoemaker posted a course-record 6-under 66 to take the clubhouse lead at 7 under, Woad birdied three of the last four holes to overtake her. The Augusta National Women's Amateur is unique in that the 36-hole leader must sleep on the lead not one but two nights. The quietly confident Woad embraced it all. Success at Florida State Florida State coach Amy Bond recently looked back on the first email Woad ever sent FSU, back in 2020, when she was ranked 1,151st in the world. Known for her complete game and tireless work ethic, Woad first rose to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in June 2024. Her 70.42 career scoring average after three seasons at Florida State set a school record. A five-time winner at FSU, Woad's 27 top-10 finishes set another record, highlighting her consistent play. Woad, who didn't have a car or driver's license at Florida State, would typically call an Uber on Saturday mornings around 7:30 a.m. to get a lift to the golf course. While most college students her age were hitting snooze, Woad hit the practice facility. 'You think you work hard, and she works 10 times harder,' former teammate Charlotte Heath once said. 'We have pros at our club, and Lottie outworks them all.' First professional title Before Woad turned professional, she became the first amateur in three years to win on Ladies European Tour, storming to victory at the Women's Irish Open by six shots over two-time LPGA winner Madelene Sagstrom. Woad, whose game is highlighted by strong wedge play and clutch putting, finished the tournament at 21 under par. "'You can't control what anyone else does. It was Lottie's week; it was wonderful to watch her play," said Sagstrom. "I played a bunch of golf with her. I'm really happy for her and she's going to take European and American golf by storm very soon.' The following week, Woad nearly won a major. Woads gets an LPGA card Late last year the LPGA announced its new LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, which awards a full card to an amateur who reaches 20 points. Woad needed a top-25 finish at the Amundi Evian Championship to earn her LPGA card and almost won the tournament in the process, falling one stroke shy of a playoff in France after a final-round 64, taking a share of third with Minjee Lee. 'It seems effortless to her,' said fellow Englishwoman Karen Stupples from the broadcast booth. The following week, Woad accepted tour cards from both the LPGA and LET, making her eligible for the 2026 Solheim Cup. She planned to make her professional debut the next week in Scotland. Woad wins pro debut Woad's magical July run continued at Dundonald Links, where the newly-minted played alongside Nelly Korda and Charley Hull in the first two rounds and was unfazed by the star power, taking the title by two shots. The victory secured Woad's tour card through 2027 and moved her to No. 24 in the Rolex Rankings. Now a combined 55 under in her last 12 rounds on the LPGA and LET, Woad boasts a scoring average of 67.3 in the last month. "I don't really know how to describe it," said the humble Woad of her recent stretch of brilliance. "Just been shooting low scores, which is always nice." Former British Open champ Catriona Matthew captained Woad at the Curtis Cup last year at Sunningdale and compared her to a young Karrie Webb. 'She's not out there for the glitz and the glam,' said Matthew, 'she just wants to be as good a golfer as she can be and go out and beat everyone.' Woad at the majors The first LPGA event Woad ever played was the Chevron Championship almost immediately after winning the ANWA. In fact, Woad's first seven LPGA starts were all major championships, with her first non-major coming at last week's Scottish Open, which she won. Last year at the British Open at St. Andrews, Woad won the Smyth Salver for low-amateur honors with a T-10 performance in her championship debut. The highlight of the week at the Old Course had to be the hole-out for eagle on the 18th Saturday. Woad has a flair for the dramatic when the stakes are high. 'All the players out there can hit the shots,' said Matthew, 'but what makes her special is that she can do it when she has to.' This week's start at Royal Porthcawl will be her eighth major, and she'll have longtime teaching pro Luke Bone on the bag once again as a sort of final hurrah. She won the Scottish last week with veteran pro caddie Dermot Byrne. Woad is represented by Excel Sports Management, as she was as an amateur, and joins a list of stars that includes Lydia Ko, Rose Zhang and Michelle Wie West. As an amateur, she had NIL deals with Titleist/FootJoy, Novellus and Upper Deck. 'I've always loved being under pressure and under the gun,' said Woad, calling the experience of those major starts invaluable. What the pros are saying Korda played alongside Woad in the first three rounds of the Scottish Open and was impressed with her composure and process, noting that while others tend to fidget and change things in the heat of battle, Woad stuck to her routine and looked comfortable. The elder Korda, who turned 27 on Monday, called Woad 'absolutely amazing.' Meanwhile Ko, the most recent inductee of the LPGA of Fame who won last year's British Open, noted in her pre-tournament presser that she's looking forward to seeing what she can learn from Woad while playing alongside her in the first two rounds in Wales. 'Just because you're a higher-ranked player doesn't mean that there's something that I can't learn from somebody else,' said Ko. 'She's obviously playing great golf. I've seen her swing, and my coach has sent me a video of her swing as well because there's aspects that I'm kind of going for that she has.'
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Lottie Woad wins Scottish Open, her first LPGA event as a member
It's officially Lottie Woad Summer on the LPGA. The 21-year-old Englishwoman won the Scottish Open on Sunday, becoming the first person to win her initial LPGA event as a member since 2018. It comes on the heels of her Irish Open win as an amateur earlier this month and a tie for third-place at the Evian Championship. Those two results, on the Ladies European Tour and in the fourth major of the season, respectively, earned the 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur winner her LPGA card. Advertisement She is now a major contender for the AIG Women's Open next week at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. Woad came into Sunday's final round at Dundonald Links with a two-shot lead and fired a pair of birdies on the front nine, but Hyo Joo Kim was 5 under through 11 holes to tie Woad at 19-under-par. Woad answered with birdies on holes Nos. 13 and 14, and watched as Kim bogeyed back-to-back holes to fall off the pace. Woad finished her final-round 68 with a birdie on No. 18. She shot 67-65-67-68 over four days, playing almost flawless golf. She had at least five birdies in each of her rounds, and had three total bogeys (and no doubles) during the week. She's from Farnham in Surrey, and enrolled at Florida State in 2022. Her breakout came two years later, with the ANWA win, NCAA runner-up finish and a top-10/low amateur finish at the Women's Open. Jin Young Ko was the last LPGA pro to earn a win in her first start as a member. Rose Zhang won the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open in her first event after turning professional, but she did not yet have her tour card. The Scottish Open was originally scheduled to be streaming only in the United States on NBC Sports, but the LPGA worked with NBC to get two hours of the final round broadcast on CNBC.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Video Of Massive Flood At Augusta National Is Going Viral
Video Of Massive Flood At Augusta National Is Going Viral originally appeared on The Spun. Golf fans around the country nearly fainted this week when they saw a video of floodwaters damaging the grounds at Augusta National. On Thursday, a video of a massive flood raging near Amen Corner went viral on social media. Although the 2026 Masters is so far away, the last thing people want is for Augusta National to suffer extensive damage. According to the video was actually taken earlier this summer. Initially, people thought it was from last September when Hurricane Helene leveled the South. But a source close to Augusta National told that the flooding actually occurred earlier this summer, when intense rains hammered the Augusta area. At the time, the source said, Amen Corner was under construction; off-season upgrades are common at the club, which traditionally closes in May, after the Masters, and doesn't reopen until the second Monday of October. Thankfully, this flood isn't supposed to severely damage this iconic course. "Any impact is really just aesthetic," a source close to Augusta National told "Nothing they can't handle." For what it's worth, Augusta National traditionally closes in May and reopens in early October. Besides, the city is prone to "flood-related problems," so it's not shocking to see this happen. "Augusta has a history of disastrous floods, which led to the construction of the levee in the downtown area," the city's website states. "Due to the topography of the city, certain areas are prone to flood-related problems.' Just this past Sunday, heavy rain triggered flash-flood warnings in the Augusta area." We're certainly glad that no one was harmed during this Of Massive Flood At Augusta National Is Going Viral first appeared on The Spun on Jul 25, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who's on Jack Nicklaus' golf Mount Rushmore? Sorry, Arnold Palmer
Whose faces would be carved into gold's Mount Rushmore if Jack Nicklaus made the final call? Well, obviously, his own likeness would be among the four. The other three, according to a recently resurfaced video on Twitter, would belong to Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods. Sorry, Arnie. More: How did Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village get their names? Jack Nicklaus explains Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus' longtime friend and rival, didn't make the legendary golfer's personal cut. The video was originally shot for Golf Digest in August 2024 and was recently repurposed by a popular Twitter account called Official Tour Pro. Nicklaus, 85, became close friends with Palmer, his rival, while they and Gary Player dominated the sport in the 1960s to help golf gain popularity in the U.S. Palmer, who died in 2016 at age 87, won 62 PGA Tour titles and still ranks fifth in all-time victories behind Sam Snead, Woods, Nicklaus and Hogan. Jones, who co-founded the Masters Tournament and Augusta National Golf Club where it's played, played only as an amateur while making his living as an attorney. He's considered the greatest amateur player who's ever lived. Nicklaus, meanwhile, won 117 professional tournaments, including 73 PGA wins plus a record 18 major championships. That's three more majors than Woods, who's still playing. Nicklaus also fronts one of the world's leading golf course design and construction firms, Nicklaus Design, and has designed numerous courses – including Muirfield Village in Dublin that hosts the annual Memorial Tournament. Nicklaus has also inspired a line of ice cream flavors plus Golden Bear Lemonade, but neither has a spot on the Mount Rushmore of golf-inspired food/beverage items next to the tasty half lemonade/half iced tea mixture known as an Arnold Palmer. Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@ and @ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tiger Woods makes Jack Nicklaus' golf Mount Rushmore. Who made the cut?
Newsweek
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Scottie Scheffler Stuns Jimmy Fallon With Claret Jug Cameo at 'Tonight Show'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Over the years, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has become a rare off-course stage for golf's elites to entertain their fans beyond the greens. The last time a golfer lit up Fallon's set, it was Rory McIlroy, still glowing from his emotional Masters win at Augusta National. And on Monday night, it happened again. Scottie Scheffler crashes Jimmy Fallon's opening monologue at the 'Tonight Show' with claret jug. (Image Credits: The Tonight Show (BTS)/Instagram) Scottie Scheffler crashes Jimmy Fallon's opening monologue at the 'Tonight Show' with claret jug. (Image Credits: The Tonight Show (BTS)/Instagram) Instagram Scottie Scheffler, fresh off his dominant Open Championship victory at Royal Portrush, made an unannounced and effortlessly cool appearance at Studio 6B at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. His appearance was an iconic walk from the backstage to the set, but of course with the Claret Jug in hand. Earlier that evening, Scheffler had turned heads at the "Happy Gilmore 2" premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he posed with the Claret Jug alongside Adam Sandler and fellow PGA Tour pros. But it was his cameo on "The Tonight Show" that stole the spotlight. The segment aired Monday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Fallon, mid-monologue, asked for a photo of Scheffler. When an image of him swinging a club appeared onscreen, Fallon stated, "I really want to see Scottie and the trophy," as shown in the video posted on YouTube. Seconds later, the classic blue curtain split, and out walked Scheffler in a white button-down short-sleeve shirt, gray jeans, and white sneakers, holding the Claret Jug. The studio audience went crazy with screams of excitement and a standing ovation. What followed next was Fallon posing for a selfie with Scheffler and the trophy after getting utterly shocked and happy at the same time. This week marked Scheffler's fourth major title and his third leg of the career Grand Slam. Yet, for all the historical weight, Scheffler's approach remains unchanged. "I do my best by living in the present. Right now, what that looks like is we're heading back to the States hopefully (Sunday) and get back home as quick as we can and celebrate this win with the boys at home," he told reporters after his Sunday win. That mentality makes Scheffler magnetic beyond his golf. Even on Fallon's set, with a room full of flashing lights and cameras, Scheffler didn't try to be bigger than the game. He just smiled, lifted the Jug, and disappeared backstage as quietly as he'd arrived. In simple words, that's the way he is; the biggest name in golf, and the last person trying to act like it. More Golf: Wyndham Clark Breaks Silence on Oakmont Ban: 'I Did Something Awful'
