Lottie Woad Looks Polished in Pro Debut

Lottie Woad's first round as a professional was anything but under the radar. Paired with top-ranked Nelly Korda and fellow Englishwoman Charley Hull, who Woad grew up admiring, she fired a 5-under 67, good enough for an early tie for second at the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open. A large-for-a-Thursday-morning crowd was with the group the whole way, something Woad said she enjoys. Not only did she best Korda and Hull on Thursday, she did it without her A-game. As the broadcast noted multiple times, her driver was not up to her usually high standards, an insight that was confirmed by Woad's frustrated facial expressions throughout the day.

Woad is making a habit of finding her way into contention, and as recently as a few weeks ago at the Women's Irish Open, making her way to the very top of the leaderboard. This week's Scottish Open has barely begun, but Woad has more than a fighting chance to become the latest player to win her professional debut. Rose Zhang's debut victory at the Mizuho Americas Open in 2023 was considered by all to be one of the rarest feats in golf (it had been 72 years since Beverly Hanson's debut win). It's more likely than not that Woad won't join Zhang and Hanson on Sunday. However, the early returns for Woad are incredibly promising.

She won't impress you in interviews where she looks like she can't wait for the microphone to go away. You'll have to look elsewhere for deep, self-reflective answers that offer a peek behind the curtain. Woad is as matter-of-fact as they come, a golfer blessed with plenty of talent and a work ethic few can match. She works so hard her longtime coach, Luke Bone, said it can actually turn into a weakness.

She has a one-track mind with a sole focus: being the best. In that sense, she's very much unlike Zhang, the player whose company she hopes to join this weekend. Zhang has spent much of her first years on Tour working towards a goal completely separate from golf, her degree at Stanford. Don't expect Woad to follow in those footsteps and spend much time, if any, hitting the books in Tallahassee. The golf course is the only place Woad wants to be, quickly approaching "must watch" status when she tees it up.

And yet watching her this weekend will be difficult. Live coverage is only available via the NBC Sports app. The women's game has been given dreaded "tape delay" status on Golf Channel Saturday and Sunday evenings. Now coined "encore" coverage, it's still just as offensive and should have no place in the sports broadcast landscape in the year 2025. That's the hand that's been dealt, but it sure will be a shame it’s not easier to tune in on Sunday if Lottie Woad is still near the top of the leaderboard.