The Women’s Sport Trust recently announced that more people than ever are watching women’s sport. It showed that over the summer a record number of people in the UK watched female sport on TV and engaged with it digitally. Women’s football, particularly, seems to be exploding in the UK at the moment, in terms of girls playing the sport and the exposure the Lionesses and other players are getting.
The Hundred has helped with cricket, while women’s rugby is also doing very well and will only be boosted further by the World Cup success of the Red Roses. Golf is one sport that is perhaps lagging behind a little, which means that many may not have heard of Lottie Woad. We predict that is going to change quickly though, and Woad could be the English golfing superstar that powers a surge in the game’s popularity among girls and women.
Photo credit: Altopix / Shutterstock.com.
Young Star Destined for the Top
It might already seem like we are making a big fuss about a player that is only ranked number 11 in the world. After all, Woad’s compatriot, Charley Hull, is currently the world number five. However, back in June 2025, Woad was the world’s 281st ranked player and was still an amateur.
The young ace, who will only turn 22 in January next year, has long been destined for greatness. However, in all sports, we often see youngsters who excel but for a range of reasons don’t quite make it to the top. For Woad, 2024 was a great year but 2025 was when she really broke through and demonstrated that not only was she going to make it, but she might be capable of dominating her sport.
Those who follow women’s golf very closely will have had the Surrey native on their radar for several years. As long ago as 2021 she won the Welsh Women’s Open Stroke Play Championship. The following year she won the Girls Amateur Championship and joined Florida State University, being named the WGCA Freshman of the Year in 2023.
In 2024 she played in her first major championship, finishing tied 23rd at the Chevron Championship. She missed the cut in two of that year’s majors and did not play in the Women’s PGA Championship. However, by June of 2024 she was ranked the number one amateur in the world and at the 2024 Women’s British Open she finished tied for 10th.
The winning moment for Lottie Woad.#ANWAGolf pic.twitter.com/bedGPJ4wRQ
— Augusta National Women’s Amateur (@anwagolf) April 6, 2024
Incredibly, she already now boasts three top-10 finishes in majors and the expectation is that she will win one in 2026. Already, at an age when most golfer are still miles away from being the finished article, she has won tournaments on the senior tour, doing so first while still an amateur and then in her first tournament as a pro. Tiger Woods didn’t manage that, nor did Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler or anyone else as far as we know.
The sky is the limit for this girl and Woad’s already famous work ethic and level head means that she has a great chance of fulfilling her potential. The future looks incredibly bright for women’s golf.
Two Wins and a Surge up the Rankings
With excitement about the 21 year old growing, Woad sent things into overdrive by not only winning on the European Tour as an amateur, but absolutely romping to victory. She claimed the Irish Open in July by a massive six shots, becoming the first amateur to win on the Ladies European Tour since 2022.
Her next event was the Evian Championship, and she claimed her first top-three finish in a major. As an amateur she missed out on a huge payday, the total purse for the tournament a massive $8m. She was only playing thanks to an invite and ended on 13 under, just one shot shy of a spot in the play-off that was eventually won by Grace Kim.
That saw her climb to 64 in the world rankings while still an amateur. Only Kiwi Lydia Ko has been ranked higher before turning pro, and Ko now boasts three majors and 31 pro wins at the age of 28.
Following her win, Woad turned pro, having already done enough to secure her LPGA Tour card for both 2025 and 226. Her first outing in the professional ranks was at the Scottish Open and she won that event by three shots.
Her performances at the Irish and Scottish Opens meant that she began the British Open as one of the favourites. That tells its own story given she was a 21 year old playing just her second pro tournament. She finished eighth in the end but her time will come.
After some more solid performances, including finishing third at the Kroger Queen City Championship on the LPGA Tour in America, she is up to 11th in the world. More wins will follow and as long as she retains her hunger and passion, her sensational driving, brilliant putting and rock-solid all-round game mean that majors and the world number one spot will surely be hers too.