Lottie Woad hit what she thought was a good drive on the par-5 18th, only to find it in the rough by a foot. Forced to lay up, her second shot then found a divot in the fairway. From the divot, she hit a wedge to 60 feet and then drained the putt for birdie.
And that sums up the No. 1 amateur in the world: always in it.
Woad’s up-and-down third-round 70 – that included two 6s on the card – puts her in a share of 19th at 6 under. That’s five shots back of the leaders and in solid position to earn her LPGA card. The Florida State senior needs to finish in the top 25 to earn the last point needed to earn her card.
“I was 2 over through 6 and didn’t really give up,” said Woad, “so happy with that. We’re not too far out of it.”
The 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion would become the first player to earn LPGA membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, which launched in the fall of 2024.
Woad, who won the Irish Open last week by a stunning six shots, will need to turn professional to join the LPGA and accept membership for the remainder of the 2025 season. She’ll have membership for 2026 as well.
The 21-year-old is already in the field for the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by virtue of her win in Ireland. She’s also already in the field for the AIG Women’s British Open thanks to her top-10 finish last year at St. Andrews.
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