Latest news with #MadeleneSagstrom
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top-ranked amateur won Irish Open but still won't turn pro for this week's LPGA major
Lottie Woad won her first professional title last Sunday in Ireland but will still play this week's LPGA major as an amateur. The world's No. 1 amateur is oh-so-close to her LPGA card through the tour's new LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program and is thinking long-term. 'No, I'm not tempted to turn pro yet," Woad told the LET after her dominant six-shot victory at the KPMG Women's Irish Open. Two-time LPGA winner Madelene Sagstrom finished second to Woad and took home a nearly $79,000 winner's check. Advertisement To become the first player to earn her card through the program, 21-year-old Woad must accumulate 20 points. The 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur champion didn't earn any points with her LET victory, but she's currently only two points shy of the threshold. Should Florida State's Woad finish in the top 25 this week in France at the Amundi Evian Championship, she'll earn two points and have her card for the remainder of the 2025 LPGA season as well as 2026. A made cut would yield one point. She'd then have another chance to get to 20 at the AIG Women's British Open, where she finished in the top 10 last year at St. Andrews to earn a spot in 2025. She can play in that event as an amateur or a pro. Advertisement Should Woad fail to earn a point at either of those events, she'll lock up her card in early August after the conclusion of the U.S. Women's Amateur, based off her standing in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. The player who wins the Mark H. McCormack Medal for finishing No. 1 earns three points. Those who finish second or third earn two points. Woad's biggest competition for the No. 1 ranking, FSU teammate Mirabel Ting, makes her professional debut this week in France and will drop out of the World Amateur Golf Ranking. In her junior season at FSU, Woad won twice and never finished outside the top three until the NCAA Championship, where she took a share of eighth place. Other amateurs in the Evian field include 2024 AJGA Rolex Player of the Year Gianna Clemente, 2025 NCAA champion Maria Jose Marin, 2024 U.S. Women's Amateur and U.S. Girls' Junior champion Rianne Malixi, 2025 Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific champion Jeneath Wong, 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur champion Carla Bernat Escuder and 2024 Women's Amateur Latin America champion Clarisa Temelo. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Here's why world No. 1 Lottie Woad won't turn pro for next LPGA major
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Woad heads to Evian as most exciting emerging talent in women's game'
She cannot improve her bank balance but Lottie Woad can secure her playing future with a high finish at this week's Evian Championship, the fourth women's major of the 21-year-old Farnham golfer will be full of confidence after trouncing a high quality Ladies European Tour field at the Irish Open last won by six shots leaving, at a distance, Solheim Cup stars Madelene Sagstrom and Charley Hull in her was the first amateur to win on the LET since 2022 and appears destined for a stellar career whenever she chooses to turn Sagstrom, who played with Woad in the final round at Carton House, stated: "She's going to take European and American golf by storm very soon." Now Woad is preparing to tee it up with the world's best in France, having already posted two top 25 finishes in this week would give her the two qualifying points she requires to secure LPGA Tour membership through their Elite Amateur Pathway."She loves the big occasion," said England Golf's performance director Nigel Edwards, who became aware of her talents when she joined their regional squads aged showed as much by putting her name on the leaderboard on her major debut at the 2024 Chevron eventually finished 23rd in Texas before taking the Smyth Salver for becoming the low amateur from the tougher side of the draw at the AIG Women's Open at St Andrews three months later, finishing in a share of 10th it would be in keeping with past performance if Woad can post another top-25 at Evian, especially after her Irish success. "She has such an excellent work ethic," Edwards told BBC Sport."Lottie has always had a great attitude to learning and coaching and making herself improve. She understands what to practice to make her better and is always prepared to try something different if something isn't working."She understood that she needed to be strong. She needed speed and she's developed that over the years. She's always been a very keen and willing student."She drives the ball so well she always sets herself up to score well." 'The sky's the limit for Woad' Around the famed Old Course last summer, Woad demonstrated an impressive golfing maturity to deal with the capricious nature of the ultimate links course as it was battered by seaside winds."She loves the competition," Edwards said. "And probably enjoys that more than most and those who just love hitting balls, but she enjoys the performance element."If you look at her all the way up, she's been a winner right throughout her career so she's never been frightened of it, no matter who she's been up against."Having won the Augusta National Women's Amateur at the home of the men's Masters last year, Woad has established herself as the most exciting emerging talent in the women's game."I think Augusta probably showed it more the most with those three birdies in those last few holes to win," Edwards has been a consistent contender playing for Florida State in an NCAA season where she posted two wins among 10 top-three finishes in 11 tournaments. Woad tops the women's amateur world rankings."I'm not tempted to turn pro yet," she said after missing out on the £58,000 first prize in Ireland last week. "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."Given her current trajectory those points should come from simply playing Evian and the Women's Open or by remaining top of the world standings.A top-25 this week provides an early opportunity to guarantee LPGA eligibility, although Woad may decide to defer joining the paid ranks for a year and complete her studies at Florida as a golfer, she is ready to make the transition as her performance last week proved. Ordinarily, this week she would have been competing for England in the European Team Championships, instead she is playing another major."I really do believe the sky's the limit," Edwards insists. "She clearly has that belief and I would say that's one of the hardest places to get your mindset to."Obviously she was playing with proven winners in Ireland and was not intimidated because I think her standards are very high."They are high in practice and therefore those standards are high whenever she competes. It doesn't matter who it is."World number one Nelly Korda, Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko and recent Women's PGA champion Minjee Lee headline the Evian also includes other British hopes; Hull, Gemma Dryburgh, Bronte Law, Alice Hewson, Mimi Rhodes, Cara Gainer and Darcy Harry.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Amateur Lottie Woad wins professional tournament at 2025 KPMG Women's Irish Open
The top-ranked amateur in the world rankings pulled off a runaway, six-shot victory at the KPMG Women's Irish Open on Sunday. Lottie Woad won her first Ladies European Tour title at Carton House in Kildare, Ireland, after shooting 68-67-67-69. She led by as many as seven shots Sunday. Woad, 21, was the low amateur at the U.S. Women's Open after finishing 10th earlier this season and because she is still an amateur, runner-up Madelene Sagstrom took home the first-place money. Amelia Harvey was third, eight back of Woad, while Charley Hull finished fourth. Advertisement "It felt pretty comfortable overall," said Woad. "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. As soon as I birdied the second hole, holed a nice 12-footer there, it settled me in." Woad is the first non-pro to win on the LET since 2022 when Jana Melichova won the Czech Ladies Open. Woad is in the next LPGA major, the Amundi Evian Championship, which starts Thursday. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Amateur Lottie Woad wins 2025 KPMG Women's Irish Open
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
English amateur Woad claims Women's Irish Open lead
World number one amateur Woad hit 12 birdies and just one bogey in the opening 36 holes [Getty Images] Women's Irish Open second-round leaderboard -11 L Woad (Eng*); -8 C Tamburlini (Swi); -7 C Hull (Eng), A Garvey (NZ), K Rudgeley (Aus), M Sagstrom (Swe); -6 A Swayne (USVI), H Screen (Eng) Selected others: -4 E Hamilton (Eng); -3 M Rhodes (Eng); -1 A Foster (Ire); Level E Fleming (Ire*); +1 L Maguire (Ire), G Hall (Eng) Advertisement Full leaderboard English amateur Lottie Woad carded a second-round 67 to take a three-shot lead at the halfway point of the Women's Irish Open at Carton House. Woad, 21, recorded seven birdies and just one bogey in windy conditions to lead Switzerland's overnight joint-leader Chiara Tamburlini, who birdied her last hole for a two-under 71. World number 19 Charley Hull of England shot a bogey-free 69 and shares third place alongside Australia's Kirsten Rudgeley (68), Sweden's four-time Solheim Cup player Madelene Sagstrom (71) and New Zealand's Amelia Garvey (70). England's Hannah Screen (72) and Alexandra Swayne of the Virgin Islands (72) are a shot further back on six-under. Advertisement Anna Foster (74) leads the Irish challenge on one-under, but Leona Maguire is 12 shots adrift after carding three bogeys and a double in a 75. Woad is the world's top-ranked amateur and served notice of her potential with victory in the Augusta National Women's Amateur and a top-10 finish in the Women's Open last year. And while she has not yet turned professional, the Florida State University player has put herself in a strong position to win her first Ladies European Tour title with 36 holes to go in County Kildare. After a bogey-free opening 68, Woad started Friday's round on the 10th and picked up three shots on her front nine. Advertisement Woad, from Farnham in Surrey, gained another three strokes in the first six holes of her second nine, and while a solitary blemish came on the par-four eighth, a closing birdie extended her advantage at the top of the leaderboard. Woad led by four until 2024 Order of Merit winner Tamburlini knocked her approach at the final hole to within a foot for a closing birdie. But while Woad shone, home favourite Maguire failed to build on her opening 72 as she dropped three shots in her first five holes. The three-time Solheim Cup player then mixed three birdies with a double bogey on the back nine to sit in a tie for 49th alongside England's former Open champion Georgia Hall, who shot 76. Irish amateur Emma Fleming followed an impressive first-round 69 with a 77 to slip back to even par.
The Sun
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
English star, 21, cruelly BANNED from bagging £58,000 winnings as she stuns field to win first European Tour event
AN ENGLISH golfer was cruelly DENIED from taking home a £58,000 cheque after winning the Women's Irish Open. Due to Lottie Woad's amateur status her first-place winnings have been awarded to Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom, who finished second. 2 Woad carded a four-under final-round 69 to claim her first Ladies European Tour title in dominant fashion with a six-shot win. The 21-year-old made history as the first amateur player in three years to triumph on the Euro Tour, finishing on 21-under overall. Woad hit the front in windy conditions on Friday, extended her lead to seven strokes in Saturday's third round and made six birdies and two bogeys on Sunday to cruise home at Carton House. But, she won't see a penny of the prize money for her incredible 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 a professional tour card, she would've walked away five figures richer for her efforts. Despite being banned from the winnings, Woad said: "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." A similar incident happened to fellow Brit Ollie Tarvet, 21, at Wimbledon last week. The tennis player couldn't accept £99,000 in prize money he earned for reaching the second round due to being a US college student. Two rushed to hospital after golf course fireworks display goes terrifyingly wrong near Taylor Swift's Cape Cod home Sagstrom, with a final round of 68, finished second with England's No19 Charley Hull (69) in fourth. She broke 70 across all four rounds to become the first amateur to win since Czech Jana Melichova clinched the 2022 Czech Ladies Open. She won the 2022 Girls Amateur Championship, then followed that up with victory at the Augusta National Women's Amateur last year. The Florida State University student is biding her time before hitting the big time.
