Nice write up for Lottie Woad.

Just watching it now, never seen her before, wouldn't want a smack off her!
 
Nice to see Lottie receive the medal for best amateur…her 31st place wasn’t the top 25 she was after, but great effort. Course was incredibly difficult…and got harder as the days went on…really tested the women to the full. Thought it was a great watch.
 
Solid first round of -5 by Lottie at the Irish Open - sees her one behind leaders and in third place. Need another the same or similar tomorrow.

Interestingly, Mirabel Ting has turned pro (to play as a pro in the AMUNDI Evian next week). Ting was (and still showing) 2nd in the WAGR and the most realistic challenger to Lottie’s first place. Keep an eye on Ting (US College #1)…she’s pretty damn good. Maybe not a Rose Zhang…but still.

If Lottie still WAGR #1 mid-August (after US Women’s Amateur Open) then she’ll win the McCormack Medal and have the LEAP points to turn pro straight into the LPGA tour. Still possible that the American Kiera Romero could catch her…so no chickens being counted. That aside, a Top 25 at The AMUNDI Evian would do the job anyway…but that’s quite a bit of an ask.
 
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Extremely impressive performance against some very experienced pros. Kid could have a very bright future.
Lottie loves harder courses and/or poorer weather - she has the self-confidence and the shot control to think that she can cope as well if not better than most.

The thing about tomorrow is that she's never been in such a position before. Plenty of amateur wins and trophies, but nothing at all like this - when she won at Augusta she used her natural aggressive golf to chase down the lead to win. This is very different. We think she has the steely mindset to close things out - but we don't actually know. If there is a worry that's where it sits. She frets a little that she doesn't hole quite enough putts - her coach reminds her that her GIR stats are so high that she will feel she misses a lot - and that when she starts holing them there's a chance she'll blow a field away - because there won't be many bogeys - and that's what's happened so far this tournament (one bogey in 54 holes).

A win or good place tomorrow won't do anything for her priority (LEAP) exemption entry to the full LPGA tour...but a win (🤞) would get her two years exemption from qualifying for the LET - plus would likely add to her WAGR pts (works a bit like WHS in that you can record a really good score and your index can go up as well was down - depends what you lose from the 'bottom' of your record). Likely however that her lead over Kiera Romero (2nd in WAGR now) will increase making it probable that she'll win the MacCormick medal and get the LEAP pts that will give her that full LPGA tour exemption - if she wants to take it.

Everyone very proud of her - and our hopes and excitement are high, but that hope is tinged with a niggling little bit of the trepidation that something new and so untested can bring.
 
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