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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bookmakers put Lottie Woad as the betting favorite heading into AIG Women's British Open
Lottie Woad is the betting favorite to win the AIG Women's British Open in her only her second start as a professional. The former top-ranked amateur rose to No. 24 in the Rolex Rankings after winning the ISPS Hands Women's Scottish Open in her professional debut and will tee it up alongside 2024 British Open champion Lydia Ko and 2023 champ Lilia Vu in the first two rounds at Royal Porthcawl. How dominant is Woad right now? She's 55 under par in her last 12 rounds on the LET and LPGA, beating the field on average by five strokes with a 67.3 scoring average. 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.' Lottie Woad's recent run has been impressive It's how she's doing the winning that's impressive too, Matthew notes, taking Augusta National by storm with three birdies over the last four holes in 2024, running away from the field at the Irish Open to win by six, closing with a 64 at Evian to secure her LPGA card and then staring down major champions in Scotland to win by two. Woad, now playing in her eighth major championship, certainly isn't scared. '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.' After her big win in Scotland, securing LPGA status through 2027, Woad and her family made the seven-hour drive to Wales to prep for her fourth major start of the season. After a missed cut at the Chevron, Woad tied for 31st at the U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills and finished one shot shy of a playoff at the Amundi Evian Championship, taking a share of third with Minjee Lee. Woad plans to buy a car with $300K purse With her first tournament paycheck of $300,000, Woad plans to buy a new car when she gets back to the United States and, as was revealed on the broadcast last week, get a driver's license. She's seemingly taking it all in stride with a quiet confidence. 'I feel good, obviously,' said Woad. 'I don't feel too different, to be honest.' World No. 1 Nelly 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.' 'It was great for me that I got to play with her my pro debut,' said Woad of Korda. 'She's someone I've always looked up to. She's obviously an amazing player and a great competitor, and to hear she said something like that is really nice.' Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda impressed by Woad Even Ko, the most recent inductee of the LPGA of Fame, noted in her pre-tournament presser that she's looking forward to seeing what she can learn from Woad playing alongside her in the first two rounds. '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.' The Irish Open has been on and off the LET's schedule over the past 30 years, but, as noted in the LPGA's KPMG Performance Insights, Woad became only the second player to win the Irish and Scottish Opens in the same season, joining fellow Englishwoman Laura Davies (1994). No player has won the Irish, Scottish and British in the same year. What's the potential for Woad? Matthew is careful with her predictions, noting that Rose Zhang dramatically won her pro debut two years ago at the Mizuho Americas Open and then stalled. 'Obviously, you don't want to overhype it and go too over-the-top,' said Matthew, 'but the potential is there and the sky's the limit at the moment.' This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Lottie Woad is the betting favorite at Women's British Open
USA Today
15 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bookmakers put Lottie Woad as the betting favorite heading into AIG Women's British Open
Lottie Woad is the betting favorite to win the AIG Women's British Open in her only her second start as a professional. The former top-ranked amateur rose to No. 24 in the Rolex Rankings after winning the ISPS Hands Women's Scottish Open in her professional debut and will tee it up alongside 2024 British Open champion Lydia Ko and 2023 champ Lilia Vu in the first two rounds at Royal Porthcawl. How dominant is Woad right now? She's 55 under par in her last 12 rounds on the LET and LPGA, beating the field on average by five strokes with a 67.3 scoring average. 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.' Lottie Woad's recent run has been impressive It's how she's doing the winning that's impressive too, Matthew notes, taking Augusta National by storm with three birdies over the last four holes in 2024, running away from the field at the Irish Open to win by six, closing with a 64 at Evian to secure her LPGA card and then staring down major champions in Scotland to win by two. Woad, now playing in her eighth major championship, certainly isn't scared. '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.' After her big win in Scotland, securing LPGA status through 2027, Woad and her family made the seven-hour drive to Wales to prep for her fourth major start of the season. After a missed cut at the Chevron, Woad tied for 31st at the U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills and finished one shot shy of a playoff at the Amundi Evian Championship, taking a share of third with Minjee Lee. Woad plans to buy a car with $300K purse With her first tournament paycheck of $300,000, Woad plans to buy a new car when she gets back to the United States and, as was revealed on the broadcast last week, get a driver's license. She's seemingly taking it all in stride with a quiet confidence. 'I feel good, obviously,' said Woad. 'I don't feel too different, to be honest.' World No. 1 Nelly 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.' 'It was great for me that I got to play with her my pro debut,' said Woad of Korda. 'She's someone I've always looked up to. She's obviously an amazing player and a great competitor, and to hear she said something like that is really nice.' Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda impressed by Woad Even Ko, the most recent inductee of the LPGA of Fame, noted in her pre-tournament presser that she's looking forward to seeing what she can learn from Woad playing alongside her in the first two rounds. '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.' The Irish Open has been on and off the LET's schedule over the past 30 years, but, as noted in the LPGA's KPMG Performance Insights, Woad became only the second player to win the Irish and Scottish Opens in the same season, joining fellow Englishwoman Laura Davies (1994). No player has won the Irish, Scottish and British in the same year. What's the potential for Woad? Matthew is careful with her predictions, noting that Rose Zhang dramatically won her pro debut two years ago at the Mizuho Americas Open and then stalled. 'Obviously, you don't want to overhype it and go too over-the-top,' said Matthew, 'but the potential is there and the sky's the limit at the moment.'
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scots shine as Dean Robertson leads GB&I to St Andrews Trophy triumph
Cameron Adam is star man in Spain as Connor Graham also endorses Walker Cup claim Sign up to our daily 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... Cameron Adam and Connor Graham look certain to be heading to California for the Walker Cup after the Scottish duo helped Great Britain & Ireland secure an impressive win in the St Andrews Trophy. Dean Robertson's side beat Continent of Europe 16.5-8.5 at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Spain, meaning Great Britain & Ireland now hold the Curtis Cup, the Vagliano Trophy and the St Andrews Trophy after a hat-trick of successes inside the last year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad GB&I captain Dean Robertson and his players show off the trophy after winning the St Andrews Trophy in Spain | The R&A Royal Burgess left-hander Adam was the star man for Robertson, winning all four of his matches, while Blairgowrie teenager Graham picked up three points. The impressive contributions came after both players had made their major debuts in The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. It now seems almost certain that Adam and Graham will be selected for the Walker Cup, which takes place at Cypress Point in early September. 'I'm absolutely thrilled,' said Robertson of GB&I regaining the trophy after a defeat at Royal Porthcawl last year. 'There has been a real togetherness and cohesion. It's been great getting to know the players over the last 18 months. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The preparations for this week started at the back end of last year, watching them play and learning about their games. 'For them to come here, prepare as well as we did and then to execute by winning all four sessions certainly surpassed my expectations. It was a brilliant, brilliant performance and I'm so proud of them all. Royal Burgess man Cameron Adam won all four of his matches at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Spain | The R&A 'Everyone contributed to the points total. GB&I winning three team trophies in the last year (at men's and women's level) is very impressive and I'm absolutely thrilled.' Luke Poulter, Ian's son, sealed the win in style as he holed a bunker shot for an eagle on the 18th to beat Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson from Iceland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Luke's finish was incredible,' added Robertson. 'There was great drama on the final green and his holed bunker shot was a fitting way to sign off the team victory. Cameron (Adam) was an outstanding leader within the team and there is some phenomenal talent overall. 'We're going to enjoy this, celebrate it, reflect on it and then take a wee trip to face the USA in the Walker Cup. We're the underdogs and we'll give it our best shot.'
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
New funding to resolve gender 'injustice' in Scottish golf
Scotland's most decorated female golfer, Catriona Matthew, played a key role in advising both the foundation and Scottish Golf on bringing the programme to fruition. Read more: "Experience has taught me that making that step from the top of the amateur game into the professional ranks can be tough a transition," Ms Matthew said. "We all want to see more Scots competing at the top of the women's game and this programme is designed to help bridge the gap for young professionals. "I know from captaining both Lorna and Hannah in last year's Curtis Cup that they are players with a bright future, and we all want to help them reach their full potential. By putting in place this programme and laying down strong foundations of support, my sincere hope is that many more aspiring Scottish players will follow Hannah and Lorna and benefit in the years ahead." The new programme comes on the back of Scottish Golf being able to send squads out to the Bahamas over the past two years through receiving support from the Sean Connery Foundation, which was established in 2020 to reflect the James Bond actor's passions and guiding principles. Read more: "He always wanted to champion talented people who couldn't otherwise get a break, backing excellence in need," his son Stephane Connery said. "Sean greatly admired the women's game, and he saw an injustice in how little attention it got in comparison to the men's." As part of Scottish Golf's broader "Women and Girls Strategy", a separate three-year fund is being established to support employment by its member clubs of full or part-time dedicated to growing and retaining female membership. Clubs looking to welcome more women and girls, and those seeking to build momentum and growth in female participation, will be eligible for support. The phased investment from the fund will be matched by the clubs. A further "Club Education Fund" targeted specifically at the female workforce is being established to upskill and retain employees within golf. Its ambition is to get more women into leadership, managerial and key decision-making positions within clubs.
Scotsman
7 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
'Dad would be so proud' - Sean Connery Foundation support for Scottish golfers
Timely boost for Hannah Darling and Lorna McClymont on eve of ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open Sign up to our daily 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... Hannah Darling and Lorna McClymont have been given the chance to shine on home soil in this week's ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open through significant new support from the Sean Connery Foundation. Darling, who is making her professional debut, and McClymont, who made the switch to the paid ranks earlier this year, have both secured invitations for the $2 million event at Dundonald Links. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sean Connery's sons Stephane, left, and Jason, right, pictured with Lorna McClymont and Hannah Darling at the launch of the new Scottish Women's Professional Transition Programme | Nick Mailer Photography In a timely boost, it has been announced that they are being supported in their new careers through a partnership between Scottish Golf and the Sean Connery Foundation, which was set up in 2022 to honour the memory of the James Bond star and golf fanatic. Part of a new Women and Girls Strategy, which was launched at Dundonald Links on the eve of world No 1 Nelly Korda making her debut in the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open, the Scottish Women's Professional Transition Programme will initially see Darling and McClymont receive support over the next five years. 'It gives me a bit of a foundation moving forward,' said Darling, a two-time Scottish Girls' champion who was inside the top 20 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking when she decided to start the next chapter in her career. 'The people behind it have identified an area where they can really help us. 'With me and Lorna being the first to receive it, it's really nice. We can start our pro careers on the front foot almost and not worried about not making enough money to play the week after. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The Sean Connery Foundation are stepping into that really well and it's exciting for us all. We played in the pro-am with them and that's what they said. They just wanted to make sure that we were set and go focus on playing golf rather than worrying about the finance or any of the stress that comes with it.' Though McClymont, who played on a winning Curtis Cup team along with Darling at Sunningdale last year, has done a good so far in that respect, the Stirling University graduate admitted this support is a huge boost. Jason Connery takes part in the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open Pro-Am at Dundonald Links watched by Hannah Darling | Nick Mailer Photography 'I think it just takes such a weight off, which definitely helps,' she said. 'You're just able to go out feeling free and not worry too much because, at the end of the day, if you have stuff like that in your mind, then you're not going to be able to perform to your best.' Darling and McClymont were joined at the launch by Scottish No 1 Gemma Dryburgh, who also came through the amateur ranks and has gone on to win on the LPGA Tour and play in a Solheim Cup. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is massive,' she said of the new programme. 'I was lucky enough, ten years ago now, to get some funding from Scottish Golf, which was so helpful. When you are starting out in the pro ranks, it is hard to get sponsors and the expenses suddenly rack up because you are having to pay for everything. 'So it is going to be perfect for Hannah and Lorna and they are the people for it. It's amazing what the Sean Connery Foundation is going to do for them. 'They can just focus on the golf rather than worrying about how much a flight is going to cost for the next week or can I afford a caddie, all that kind of stuff that you don't have to worry about when you are an amateur. Gemma Dryburgh speaks with the media prior to the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open 2025 at Dundonald Links |'It is great for them that they can kick on in their careers and not worry about the money aspect of it. Yeah, I am looking forward to seeing how they get on. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's also about inspiring the next generation. I looked up to Catriona Matthew my whole amateur career and at the start of my professional career, so it is fantastic to see Lorna and Hannah pushing on as well. Hopefully they can now start inspiring kids.' The new programme has come on the back of Scottish Golf being able to send squads out to the Bahamas over the past two years through receiving support from the Sean Connery Foundation.
