Latest news with #Woad
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lottie Woad set to make pro debut at Scottish Open grouped with Nelly Korda, Charley Hull
Lottie Woad will make her pro debut this week alongside two of the biggest stars in the women's game – Nelly Korda and Charley Hull. The former top-ranked amateur turned professional last week after becoming the first to graduate from the tour's new LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program. After finishing one stroke shy of the playoff at the Amundi Evian Championship, England's Woad makes her first appearance at this week's ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open and will tee off on Thursday at 8:36 a.m. local time at Dundonald Links grouped with top-ranked Korda and compatriot Charley Hull, currently No. 19 in the world. "Going to be fun couple of days," said Woad. "Obviously two players that I look up to, so it will be cool." In addition to accepting LPGA membership, Woad also became a member of the LET following her emphatic six-stroke victory at the KPMG Women's Irish Open. She's now eligible for next year's 2026 European Solheim Cup team. Woad leaves college golf with one year left of eligibility at Florida State. The sport management major was recently named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year. When asked whether she planned to continue her studies later this year or next spring, Woad said she hasn't yet decided. "I need to speak to academics on that and decide whether I want to do that," she said, "because obviously I want to put a lot of my focus into this." Rose Zhang continues to work on her Stanford degree after turning professional in the spring of 2023. Zhang has 40 units left in Palo Alto, California, and plans to take 20 in the fall and another 20 in the winter quarter, graduating in 2026. She has taken off the spring Asian swing the past two years to work on her studies. After this week's event in Scotland and the AIG Women's British Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales, Woad's status gets her into the next string of domestic events on tour – plus Canada – and she'll make push to get into the fall's limit-field Asian swing.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Who will be the next amateur to earn an LPGA card through LEAP? The next month is crucial
Lottie Woad became the first amateur to graduate from the tour's new LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program and will make her pro debut next week in Scotland. So, who's next? The LPGA designed the program with the idea that only amateurs with exceptional records would reach the threshold of 20 points. Last November, when the tour outlined the new program to its membership, officials noted that in the past 12 years, Lydia Ko, Leona Maguire and Rose Zhang were the only players who would've earned enough points to qualify for a card. The LPGA didn't want this to necessarily be an annual thing – more like every three to four years. Before Woad won the 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur, she had only one LEAP point from the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup. She earned two points with the ANWA victory and that came with a host of major championship starts, which Woad took advantage of with top-25 finishes in the 2024 Chevron Championship and 2024 AIG Women's British Open. When she reached No. 1 amateur in the world, she earned another three points, and the 2024 Mark H. McCormack Medal garnered another four. In all, Woad earned 19 points in the span of 15 months. Woad turned professional this week, which means she'll drop off the rankings, as former No. 2 Mirabel Ting did after making her pro debut last week at Evian. The next month is crucial for accumulating points as the McCormack Medal will be decided after the U.S. Women's Amateur at Bandon Dunes, which ends Aug. 10. The medal comes with four points and exemptions into the U.S. Women's Open and AIG Women's British Open. A player could reach No. 1 for the first time and win the medal in short order, taking a total of seven LEAP points. Winning the U.S. Women's Amateur earns two points and a chance to play in four majors. Oregon's Kiara Romera currently ranks No. 2 in WAGR, but it's worth noting that her 2023 U.S. Girls' Junior title will soon roll off the two-year window. Two Spanish players who play for Stanford – Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea and Paula Martin Sampedro – are Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. Martin Sampedro has an exemption into the Women's British at Royal Portrush for her win at the 2025 Women's British Amateur. As for the current LEAP standings, Anna Davis now leads the way with nine points. Maria Jose Marin is second with eight and Jasmine Koo has seven. Kiara Romero, Rachel Heck (who has no intent on turning pro) and Catherine Park have six points. The window for earning LEAP points is any given year, plus the previous three calendar years.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Gina Kim won her third Epson Tour title. Here's why she won't be promoted to the LPGA
On the same day amateur Lottie Woad made her leap onto the LPGA, Gina Kim won for a third time on the Epson Tour this season. In the past, that would've garnered Kim a midseason LPGA card. But the Epson Tour's so-called "battlefield promotion" went away after the 2018 season. Because players weren't getting many LPGA starts through the promotion, the tour felt it was somewhat of a false promise. Woad, who officially accepted her card earlier this week, slides into the Category 13 spot on the LPGA Priority List, behind players who finished Nos. 81 to 100 on the previous season CME points list and ahead of those who have reshuffled in 2025. The Englishwoman, who finished in a share of third at Evian, earned a spot in next week's ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open by virtue of her recent win on the LET in Ireland. She's in the AIG Women's British Open field based on her top-10 finish last year at St. Andrews. Woad's LEAP card then gets her into the next five LPGA events – starting in Portland – where she'll have a chance to play her way into the limited-field Asian swing. Why can't three-time Epson Tour winners have that same opportunity? There might even be an argument for those players moving to a higher category than 13. Three-time winners aren't unusual on the development circuit. Since the rule changed, five players have won three times in a single season. Dating back to 2010, 11 players have done it. That list includes Cindy LaCrosse, Marissa Steen, Annie Park, Madelene Sagstrom, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Hannah Green, Ruixin Liu, Patty Tavatanakit, Lilia Vu and Gabriela Ruffels. The PGA Tour offers what it calls a three-victory promotion through the Korn Ferry Tour. Only 13 players have accomplished the feat since 1997, with Matt McCarty being the latest in 2024. Kim, a 25 year-old Duke grad, won wire-to-wire at the Hartford HealthCare Women's Championship to move into the No. 1 spot in the Race for the Card ranking. There are eight events left on the Epson Tour schedule.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Amateur Sensation Lottie Woad Ready for First Paycheck, Reveals Stage for Pro Debut
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. Amateur superstar Lottie Woad has just missed out on more than half a million dollars, after winning the KPMG Irish Women's Open and finishing third in the Amundi Evian Championship. It's a complication that's already history for her. The World No. 1 amateur received cards from both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour and has decided to accept them, thus launching her professional career. Woad personally announced the news through her Instagram profile. "I am very excited to announce that I have decided to turn professional and will be accepting membership of the LPGA Tour," she posted. "I'm delighted to have secured a @lpga_tour card through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP). It has provided me with an amazing opportunity, and I will have full playing rights for the remainder of the year and the whole of 2026. "I'm also really happy to accept membership of the @letgolf for 2026, following my recent win @kpmgwomensopen." Woad revealed that she will make her professional debut next week at the Women's Scottish Open, which will take place at the iconic Dundonald Links. Her outstanding result at the Amundi Evian Championship gave Woad the three points she needed to earn her card through LEAP, a program designed by the LPGA Tour to pave the way for the best amateur talent to a professional career. Just a week earlier, Lottie Woad won the KPMG Irish Women's Open in equally spectacular fashion. She beat pro star Madelene Sagström by six strokes in a field packed with top players, such as Charley Hull and Chiara Tamburlini. Had she competed as a professional in both events, Woad would have received $78,381 for her victory at Carton House and $485,437 for her third-place finish at Évian-Les-Bains, for a two-week paycheck of $563,818. Lottie Woad Thanks the Help and Support that Brought her Here In her Instagram post, Lottie Woad included a heartfelt message of gratitude to all the people and institutions that have supported her amateur golf career: "I have only reached this point in my career through the help and support that I've received from so many people and organisations over many years. I would like to express my thanks and appreciation." Lottie Woad of England poses for a photograph with a LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway flag after the final round of The Amundi Evian Championship 2025 at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 13, 2025 in... Lottie Woad of England poses for a photograph with a LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway flag after the final round of The Amundi Evian Championship 2025 at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 13, 2025 in Evian-les-Bains, France. MoreWoad had a distinguished amateur career, winning 11 tournaments, including the Irish Women's Open on the Ladies European Tour. Also notable were her title at last year's Augusta National Women's Amateur and her second-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Division I Individual Championship. She has led the world amateur rankings since June 2024. Her result at the Amundi Evian Championship is her career-best in major championships, but she had already finished in the top 10 at the AIG Women's Open, where she won the Low Amateur award. She was also the top amateur at this year's US Women's Open, where she finished tied for 31st. More Golf: Jordan Spieth makes personal statement amid Scottish Open MIA
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
England's Lottie Woad turns pro at age 21 and joins LPGA Tour
Find out what's new on ST website and app. 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
