English rookie Lottie Woad leads three major champions into an enthralling weekend at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open.
The term “rookie” almost seems redundant when applied to the 21-year-old who is golf’s latest starlet to arrive in pro golf with a brimming package of skills.
As serenely as you like, Woad (pictured above) carded a bogey-free 65, with seven birdies, on Friday at Dundonald Links to reach 12-under-par and a two-shot lead.
Woad (67-65) had just a single bogey across her opening 36 holes in the company of world No.1 Nelly Korda and England’s Charley Hull.
Such a pairing would be enough to spook some young golfers. Woad has simply gone about the business of making birdies just as she did as the world’s No.1 amateur before this week’s stunning start to her pro career.
“They are people I’ve looked up to so to play alongside them was really cool,” Woad said. “It’s been great. We got good crowds as well. Everyone was playing pretty well, so that was nice.”
Korda (68-66) is ominously poised in a tie for second. The American has the armour-plating of finishing second (three) in more majors than she has won (two) so she knows what composure and shot execution means in the ups and downs of battle.
These are 72-hole quests for the top titles so much is still to play out…a turn in the weather, a gorse bush grabbing a ball at the wrong time, the pressure of the leading group.
“I’m just trying to stick to the plan I’ve had all week and same strategy and just keep trying to play well. Obviously, people will be chasing me but I am just not going to change anything,” Woad said.
Woad will play the third round alongside Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68-66), the Danish golfer who had seven birdies in her second round with a hot putter.
July is not over yet in a few stellar weeks Woad has won the Irish Open as an amateur and finished third in a major at the Evian Championship in France.
Her world ranking has leapt from 281 to 62 and there’ll be another jump this week. She is a staggering 46-under par for her 10 tournament rounds in July with nine of those rounds in the 60s.
There is no overt fist-pumping to mark her birdies. When Korda and Hull rolled in birdie putts on their final green, the par four ninth, in the second round, Woad simply stroked in her own birdie from closer range to join the party.
There is quality everywhere. Korda and Korean pair Sei Young Kim (68-67) and Hyo Joo Kim (70-66) are all major winners perched in the top five.
Sei Young Kim chipped in for eagle on the par five 18th and birdied the first to make her big move when playing those holes in the middle of her round.
The Korean was the LPGA Tour Player of the Year in 2020 when she won the Women’s PGA Championship so her pedigree is well established despite a few winless years.
What Woad’s record doesn’t so obviously show is that she played a bunch of majors as an amateur and won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last year.
“I’ve played in seven majors now so I’ve had all that experience and obviously the LET events, too,” Woad said. “So wasn’t really new things I guess. I kind of knew how to deal with it,” Woad said of her pro debut.
Korda had a birdie-birdie finish. She is the only golfer in the field to have found as many greens in regulation as Woad (32 of 36) which reinforces that keeping out of the long grass and pot bunkers is always such a key on links courses.
“I started out strongly with two birdies on my first two holes and then the wind kind of died down throughout the day so I capitalised on the weather,” Korda said.
“I just hit it really well and I have only missed four greens through two days so I’m happy with that.
“Hopefully, I can continue trending in the right direction.”
