Latest news with #EvianChampionship
New Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Nelly Korda marvels at Lottie Woad's 'absolutely amazing' game
LOTTIE Woad's meteoric rise to golf stardom has impressed many of her fellow competitors, including World No. 1 Nelly Korda. The two were paired together at last week's Scottish Open, which Woad won by three strokes in her professional debut. The world's No. 1-ranked amateur just two weeks ago, Woad already has shot up to No. 24 in the Rolex World Rankings. Korda was asked about Woad's game, which she called "absolutely amazing." "I was very impressed with her composure, her process," Korda said on Tuesday ahead of this week's AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. "When it comes to her shot routine, especially under pressure and in the heat of the moment, sometimes people seem to fidget and kind of doubt themselves. But she stuck to it, she stuck to her process every single time. "I think that's one of the main things that I noticed is how mature she is for her age and how comfortable she was in the heat of the moment." Woad, 21, arrived on the LPGA Tour after a stellar career at Florida State, and accepted her tour membership after tying for third at the Evian Championship earlier this month. "I feel good obviously," she said Tuesday. "I don't feel too different, to be honest. I got a lot of confidence from the last few – the last month really. Just trying to continue to ride that." The Englishwoman is paired with former world No. 1 and defending champion Lydia Ko and 2023 champion Lilia Vu for the first two rounds this week. "I think there's a little bit more experience under her belt than what people probably give her credit for," Ko said. "But when I've seen the coverage or how she composes herself, she doesn't seem like she rushes into things or gets like overly emotional. I'm sure that's going to help her with that transition as well." Korda will be playing in another marquee group along with Ariya Jutanugarn and Angel Yin. Jenno Thitikul, who is nipping at Korda's heels for that No. 1 ranking, is paired with Minjee Lee and Charley Hull. Korda was in contention last week before settling for a tie for fifth following a 71 on Sunday. She is still seeking her first victory of 2025 but did finish second at last year's Women's Open and celebrated her 27th birthday on Monday. "New week, new golf course, new conditions," Korda said. "My goal is to prepare the best that I can, enjoy myself and, hopefully, be in contention. And then kind of enjoy the ride because, as many highs as I've had, I've had a lot of lows, too, with this sport, but I still come back and I still want to experience those highs in all the different circumstances, different golf courses, different conditions. "And just continue to grow my love for the game." — REUTERS
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
'Big test': Minjee Lee leads strong Aussie Open assault
Hungry for a rare career grand slam, a refreshed Minjee Lee has arrived at the Women's British Open ready to confront head-on the beauty and the beast that is Royal Porthcawl. After capturing the third leg of women's golf's fabled slam with victory at last month's PGA Championship, Lee needs an Open triumph and a Chevron Championship to complete the set. Americans Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, Julie Inkster and Louise Suggs, South Korean Inbee Park, great Swede Annika Sorenstam and Australian Karrie Webb are the only players recognised with achieving a career grand slam after winning four different major championships. But only the legendary Webb, Australia's most prolific major winner with seven all up, has completed the "super grand slam" of five different majors. After some much-needed R&R and no golf in London, Lee admits trying to join her childhood idol and mentor is a huge goal. "All the majors are a great motivator for me, so yes, I definitely want to win it (the British Open) at some stage and be able to get the career grand slam," the 29-year-old said. "That would be absolutely amazing ... and now that I look back at it right now, this is what I can say: that's quite a big motivation for me to try and get over the line." With a tie for third behind victorious compatriot Grace Kim at this month's Evian Championship, a joint 14th at the Chevron and an equal 22nd at the US Open, Lee also enters the week leading the ANNIKA Major Award. With another strong finish in Wales, the 2022 recipient could join world No.1 Nelly Korda (2024) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2018) as only the third player to claim major-player-of-the-year honours twice. To do so, Lee knows she will need to be on top of her game at the picturesque seaside layout hosting the Open for the first time. "It's going to be a really great challenge," the West Australian said. "You have to be really strong off the tees, with driver, whatever you have off the tee. "And then the wind and the way the holes are shaped, it's kind of tricky. "There's a lot of shots that go up into the air and the green's are a little bit lower, so you can't really see where they land. There's a couple of blind shots. "So it reminds me of an in-between links and kind of a regular golf course, but without trees. "The landscape is really lovely and you can see the ocean, so it just feels like it's going to be a great trip, just a good test." With five top-10 finishes in 11 Open starts, Lee is the most credentialled of the nine Australians in the 145-strong field. But any number of the classy contingent are capable of contending. Lee is joined by fellow major champions Hannah Green and Kim, Gabriela Ruffels, who led into the final round of the Evian Championship, 2024 Evian runner-up Steph Kyriacou and fellow LPGA Tour stars Cassie Porter, Karis Davidson and Hira Naveed. European Tour pro Kirsten Rudgeley will round out a nine-strong Australian challenge on her major championship debut. The purse for golf's final major of the year is $US9.5 million ($A14.6 million), with the winner pocketing $US1.425 million ($A2.2 million).
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Lottie Woad reacts to extra pressure at Women's Open after first professional win
Golf phenom Lottie Woad has dismissed carrying any extra pressure at this week's AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl despite winning on her professional debut last week at the Scottish Open. A major test for the first time as a pro in South Wales begins on Thursday, with Woad's spectacular form carrying over from a three-shot win last week. The 21-year-old clinched the $300,000 (£223,000) top prize after no payout earlier in the month from her Irish Open due to her amateur status at the time, and Woad cemented her status as one of the best in the world with a tied-third finish in The Evian Championship, just one shot behind winner Grace Kim. Woad is based in the United States and detailed how she will spend her first professional pay cheque: 'I need to get a car in America.' 'I don't know how they do it, but I feel like I'm playing well,' Woad added on her pre-tournament status as favourite. 'So I guess I was going to be one of the favourites. Obviously everyone's so good, so I feel like anyone can win really. 'You've seen it this year, so many – I think every winner has been different. So there's many people it could be. 'There's always pressure obviously, but I don't think there's any more than there was, like from my perspective, before any of the last fewweeks. 'Kind of still was wanting to contend there and that's still the aim.' Woad believes her performance at the Evian Championship will add to her chances this week. Woad said: 'I think it gave me a lot (of confidence). 'Some of the majors I made the cut, I didn't really have the best weekend on. So I was hoping to capitalise a bit more on that one. 'The final round was also very good. Yeah, it definitely gives me confidence in that and knowing that I can chase it down on Sunday. 'I don't feel too different. I've got a lot of confidence from the last month really and I'm just trying to continue to ride that.' World No 1 Nelly Korda, Open runner-up to Lydia Ko at St Andrews 12 months ago, lauded Woad, adding that she is 'definitely high up there right now' as far as major contenders. 'I don't think I've reflected too much, to be honest (on the last month),' Woad concluded. 'I think after this big week, I've got a week before I go out to America. That's probably when I'll look back at the last few months and kind of reflect on that.'
Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Golf star dubbed ‘female Tiger Woods' admits she doesn't do ‘rubbish' training
One AIG Women's Open contender was just nine when she was compared to Tiger Woods, but she has always remained her own person, and she has the results to prove it English golf sensation Charley Hull was just nine years old when she first grabbed the spotlight and was hailed as the next Tiger Woods. The prodigy made waves by clinching the 2005 Ladies Golf Union Championship before even hitting double digits. Today, the 29-year-old is still on the lookout for her maiden major victory. Known for her unconventional habit of lighting up cigarettes on the course, Hull could snap up that elusive title at the upcoming AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl this weekend. Granted special permission to smoke during last year's Solheim Cup, Hull has been a force to reckon with since her pre-teen days of beating adult competition. Yet even as a youngster, she had the maturity to shrug off comparisons with a legend like Woods. "I want to be my own person really," a nine-year-old Hull said after her landmark victory 20 years ago. "Everyone is saying you're the new Tiger Woods and I think yeah, well, whatever. I want to be myself." True to her word, Hull has carved out her own identity, not just due to smoking on the course but also in her approach to practice. With top-six finishes in all five women's majors under her belt, Hull is certainly doing things her way. The Kettering-born star, who wed MMA fighter Ozzie Smith in 2019 before divorcing two years later, has confessed she's not a fan of training specifically for her sport and favours her own fitness regimes. She also takes part in Hyrox competitions and was gutted when illness hampered her training at the Evian Championship earlier this year. "I've not been [to the] gym in two weeks and I'm not going to go to the gym for another two weeks," she said upon making a comeback at the Scottish Open last week. "I need my immune system to catch up. It drives me bonkers not being able to go to the gym." To Hull, staying active is integral to her lifestyle rather than just her golfing pursuits. And the two-time LPGA Tour winner has dismissed golf-specific workouts as "a load of rubbish," admitting she finds it hard to engage with them. In an interview with BBC Sport, she said: "I don't train for golf, I train to keep my body and mind fit. I've no interest in doing it for golf. I just do it for myself, as a hobby, trying to beat my own fitness goals. "It's all this boring movement stuff I've been doing since I was 14. It's just not for me." Regarding her notorious smoking habit, Hull recently owned up to puffing on up to 40 cigarettes a day until not long ago. She has said smoking helps her unwind on the course, although she had to abstain during the 2024 Paris Olympics due to a ban. Since then, she seems to have quit after placing a £10,000 bet with mate Ryan Evans that she could abstain for two months. Hull, who caught the public's eye by sitting on a tee box at the Women's US Open, doesn't seem to have touched a cigarette since. "I think it's the easiest thing I've ever done in my life," she said at the Black Desert Championship in May. "Yeah, it's pretty, pretty, pretty easy. I'm a strong-minded person. Usually when I put my head and my mind to something I can do it."
The Australian
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Golf: Steph Kyriacou targets British Open glory after Kim's major breakthrough
Grace Kim's breakthrough major win at the Evian Championship has moved fellow Aussie Steph Kyriacou to declare she needs to 'get a wriggle on' to join her mate on the list. The women's British Open at Royal Porthcrawl in Wales provides the perfect opportunity for the 24-year-old Sydneysider, who grew up playing links-style golf at 'St Micks' on the coast at Little Bay and expects to thrive in similar conditions this week. 'I love links golf,' Kyriacou, the world No.42, said. 'I love playing in the wind. I grew up at St Mick's (St Michael's Golf Club), which is on the water. I've grown up trying to be creative, so I feel like that's when I play my best golf. 'It's proper links. It's going to be fun. A couple blind tee shots, lots of slopes in the greens. It's windy, right on the beach, so it's going to be a proper links week.' Stephanie Kyriacou loves links golf. Picture:Kyriacou is one of nine Australians in the field after Hira Naveed came through late qualifying. The camaraderie between the Australians on tour was on show when Kim won the Evian Championship in France to become a major champion. Kyriacou's greenside video of her mate's miracle chip-in after putting her second shot on the opening playoff hole 'in the p*ss' and the cheers of the likes of Hannah Green and Minjee Lee went viral. But for Kyriacou, who was runner-up at the Evian the previous year and is yet to notch an LPGA win, Kim's brilliant win was also a reminder of what's possible for herself. 'It's kind of pretty competitive against all of us, I would say. Gracie's got one up on me or two off on me, so I need to get a little wriggle along, don't I?' she said. 'I feel good. We had a little team chat the other day, so have some things that I want to put in this week and just more about how I'm going to play golf. 'Not so much about performance stuff, but hopefully that helps me a bit. I think it will, but I'm looking forward to it.' Minjee Lee and Hannah Green spray Grace Kim after her Evian Championship win. Picture:Kyriacou used her practice rounds at Porthcrawl to play practice shots from everywhere, including the 'hay' that lines a lot of fairways and can provide a bit of trouble. 'Ideally, I don't miss one, but it's a bit inconsistent in the rough. Some parts are OK and then other parts are no bueno (not good),' she said. 'Just trying to get into the thick stuff, get used to what the worst could be.' Kyriacou will be joined at the Open by fellow Australians Kim, Naveed, Green, Lee, Cassie Porter, Kirsten Rudgeley, Karis Davidson and Gabi Ruffels.
