Woad wins on pro debut, Reto secures Major spot

Stimpmeter · July 28, 2025, 5:00am

Lottie Woad made a dream start to her professional career on Sunday with a commanding three-shot victory at the Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links.

The 21-year-old Englishwoman closed with a composed four-under-par 68 to finish on 21-under 267 and became just the second player in three years to win an LPGA Tour title in her professional debut, following Rose Zhang’s triumph at the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open.

“It’s quite hard to do that, but very special to win in my first event,” said Woad. “Everyone was chasing me today. I managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch.”

Woad held her nerve despite a strong challenge from South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, who carded four birdies in her first seven holes and caught Woad with back-to-back gains at 11 and 12. But the English star hit back immediately with birdies at 13 and 14 to re-establish her lead, dropping only one shot late in her round before signing off with a precise wedge to two feet for a closing birdie.

The win caps a remarkable stretch for Woad, who was the top-ranked amateur in women’s golf just weeks ago. She won the Women’s Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour three weeks prior, then finished one shot out of a playoff at the Evian Championship, earning enough points to secure her LPGA Tour card. That prompted the Florida State standout to turn professional, forgoing her final year of college eligibility.

Sunday’s victory is co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour and will see Woad head to Royal Porthcawl for this week’s AIG Women’s Open – the final Major of the season – as one of the form players in the field.

Woad first made headlines when she won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2023, closing with birdies on three of her final four holes. She said that experience was more nerve-racking than her professional debut.

“That was the biggest tournament I’d played in at the time and was kind of my big win,” she said. “I definitely felt the pressure more there. I think all those experiences helped me this week.”

Nelly Korda, who played the opening three rounds alongside Woad, briefly threatened with four consecutive birdies on the front nine but cooled off to card a 71, finishing eight shots adrift. The world No 1 remains winless in 2025 after a record-setting seven wins in 2024.

Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez fired a final-round 65 to share third place with Sei Young Kim (73). All three players inside the top three not already exempt for the Women’s Open – including South Africa’s Paula Reto and China’s Mary Liu – secured spots in next week’s Major.

Reto finished in seventh place on 10 under after a final-round 71.

Woad’s rise adds to a season of parity on the LPGA Tour, with 19 different winners from the first 19 events – the longest such streak in the tour’s 75-year history.

Photo: Kate McShane/Getty Images

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