Before I chat excitedly about Lottie Woad, I must correct a point that I mentioned last week. I’m talking about the women’s Open at Verulam where the format was best two scores to count from four. My friend suggested that I might want to submit a card for handicap purposes, which I ignored as I didn’t want that type of pressure on a fun day out!
Thank goodness I didn’t take her up on the idea because it has kindly been pointed out that under the rules, scores from team formats cannot count for handicap. There is an exception if it’s a betterball format, but only if specific criteria is met. I’d hate for you to take my word for it, go out and shoot your best score in a team competition and then it doesn’t count!
Anyway, back to Lottie. I’m struggling to get my head around what she has achieved this month. It’s absolutely incredible, and she’s arguably the brightest female golf star the world has seen in a long time. In 2023 Rose Zhang won the LPGA Tour’s Mizuho Americas Open on the second playoff hole against Jennifer Kupcho on her professional debut, and last year she won her second LPGA title to cement her reputation as a player to be reckoned with, but from what I’ve seen of Lottie’s game, I think she’s only just getting started.
When she popped her putt in on the 18th for her fifth birdie of the day and a closing 68 to win the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, three shots clear of Hyoo Joo Kim, there was no fist pump, no screams of joy, just a down to earth smile, taking everything in her stride. I’m not sure she has realised the enormity of what she has achieved in such a short space of time.
There are players that spend a lifetime on tour without securing one title, let alone two in three weeks and a tied 3rd place in a Major. Just think about this. In Lottie’s last three tournaments, her combined total score over 12 rounds is 55 under par! Who knows if she can do the unimaginable and win this week’s AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl, but with her confidence riding high and her level of consistency, don’t bet against it!
I wonder if there will be any pace of play issues this week. Yan Liu was issued with a two-stroke penalty at the recent Evian Championship. I’ve got a solution - a ruling of only one practice swing per shot. This is my unpopular opinion for Golf Monthly, which you can read here. I’m sure you’ve all waited on the tee or on the fairway watching players in the distance taking not one, not two, but sometimes three practice swings and thinking, “Just get on with it.” It’s ironic that as a beginner golfer I was pulled up for having too many practice swings. You never know, the idea might catch on!
Happy golfing…
Alison Root
Women's Editor
Golf monthly
Image courtesy of Ladies European Tour
