Lottie Woad rides wave of momentum into AIG Women's Open

As the world of women's golf prepares for the final major of the year, an English prodigy has seized the limelight.

Lottie Woad is the hottest player in the game and will be among the favorites to land her first major championship when the AIG Women's Open tees off at Royal Porthcawl on Thursday in Porthcawl, Wales.

Woad's litany of accomplishments dates back to last year, when she won the Augusta National Women's Amateur, rose to No. 1 in the world amateur rankings and tied for 10th at the Women's Open at St Andrews for low-am honors.

But July has seen the 21-year-old truly dominate the sport. Woad had a six-shot win at the Women's Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour, then tied for third at the most recent major, the Evian Championship, all before officially turning pro.

Then came the Women's Scottish Open last week, where Woad matched Rose Zhang's feat in 2023 by winning her first start as a professional, three strokes clear of the field.

"I've really been just enjoying myself," Woad said this week. "Enjoyed being in these events and competing and being in contention, just try to have fun with it and not add too much stress, really."

Woad is the odds-on favorite to win this week at BetMGM and FanDuel Sportsbook. And she's certainly caught the eye of her peers.

"Absolutely amazing," said Nelly Korda, who played with her at the Scottish Open. "I was very impressed with her composure, her process.

"I think, when it comes to her shot routine, especially under pressure and in the heat of the moment, sometimes people seem to fidget and kind of doubt themselves. But she stuck to it, she stuck to her process every single time, and I think that's one of the main things that I noticed is how mature she is for her age and how comfortable she was in the heat of the moment."

Korda remains atop the world rankings, but her winless season has come as a surprise after she won seven times in 2024.

"I feel like I don't really have anything more to prove to people ever," Korda said. "For me it's just I'm passionate about the game. I love the game. I love playing in these kind of conditions, testing my game, and getting to play against the best players in the world."

Royal Porthcawl has hosted three Senior Open Championships since 2014, but this marks its first time hosting the women's major. It is a par-72 course that will play 6,580 yards this week.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand is the defending champion thanks to her two-shot win at St Andrews last year, shortly after she won the Olympic gold medal and clinched her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame.

"I think it was just fun for me, and I was just trying to have more of an open mindset and just trying to be free rather than hit perfect shots," Ko said. "I think that's really important on these links-style golf courses. You could hit a really solid shot and be so far away from the pin, and that could be vice versa. It's just more about creativity, and I hope that will be kind of the strategy that I'll take towards this week."

Three of the first four major winners this season were first-timers: Japan's Mao Saigo at the Chevron Championship; Sweden's Maja Stark at the U.S. Women's Open; and Australia's Grace Kim at the Evian, where she had a comeback for the ages. Kim finished her final round birdie-birdie-par-eagle to force a playoff, where she beat Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.

"I think just knowing that my game is there and good enough," Kim said of this week's test. "Just mentally preparing whatever could happen."

--Field Level Media