British golfer Lottie Woad saw her star skyrocket on Sunday, as the 21-year-old phenom took the 2025 Scottish Open trophy — becoming the second player in three years to win in their professional LPGA debut in the process.
"I think it's quite hard to do that, but very special to win in my first event," Woad said after the win. "Everyone was chasing me today, and [I] managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots."
The debut win places Woad alongside US star Rose Zhang, who opened her career by lifting the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open trophy at 20 years old.
After previously refusing purses to maintain NCAA eligibility, the rising Florida State senior's first pro payday totals $300,000 of the tournament's $2 million overall payout.
Woad made even more history along the way, as her 21-under-par performance tied 2022 Scottish Open champion Ayaka Furue's all-time record score at the tournament.
Second-place finisher Hyo Joo Kim — the world No. 8 South Korean star — capped her weekend performance a full three strokes behind Woad, who rose 38 spots to sit at No. 24 in the world rankings with her stunning victory.
Ultimately, with each of the 2025 LPGA Tour's 19 tournaments thus far claiming a different winner — the longest stretch of parity in the organization's 75-year history — the former world No. 1 amateur is arguably minting herself as this season's breakout star.
The 2025 LPGA Tour is teeing off across the pond, as the 144-strong player field hits the Dundonald Links for the Scottish Open on Thursday.
Co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET) since 2017, this year's Scottish Open will see top LPGA and LET golfers gear up for next week's AIG Women's Open — the final Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Currently sitting in an 11-way tie for seventh place, world No. 1 Nelly Korda is leading the US contingent alongside No. 139 Jenny Bae, as Korda continues to hunt a first tournament win in 2025.
Sitting one stroke ahead in a five-way tie for second place is former top-ranked amateur Lottie Woad, with the No. 62 rookie making her highly anticipated professional debut in Thursday's opening round after excelling at the 2025 Evian Championship.
"I will definitely take it, there was some good and some bad, but overall it was pretty fair," said Woad after her Thursday performance.
The 21-year-old England star will likely see her first-ever winnings when the Scottish Open wraps, as the new LPGA Tour member is now eligible to collect on the tournament's $2 million purse.
While Woad came out swinging with a five-under-par first round, it was fellow Englishwoman and world No. 1184 Charlotte Laffar who began with the biggest bang.
The 32-year-old LET pro — returning to the circuit this season after four and a half years away from the sport to start her family — skyrocketed to an outright first-place Thursday finish behind a six-under performance.
With three rounds still to play, the early leaders will face fierce competition from contenders like defending 2024 Scottish Open champion No. 14 Lauren Coughlin and 2025 Ford Championship winner No. 10 Hyo Joo Kim, both of whom sit tied for 17th place after Thursday's first round.
How to watch the 2025 Scottish Open
The 2025 Scottish Open runs through Sunday, with live coverage on the Golf Channel.
Amid her historic summer on the links, English amateur and rising Florida State senior Charlotte "Lottie" Woad is officially turning pro, accepting LPGA membership two days after nearly topping the 2025 Evian Championship leaderboard.
One week after becoming the first amateur to win a European Tour tournament since 2022 — with the 21-year-old taking the 2025 Irish Open title by a massive six-stroke margin — Woad came within one stroke of becoming the first amateur to win an LPGA major in 58 years.
Sunday's finale saw world No. 25 Grace Kim emerge as the 2025 Evian Champion, with the Australian taking the title following a playoff with Thailand's No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul.
Both Kim and Thitikul finished the tournament at 14-under-par, while Woad trailed a single stroke behind to tie 2021 Evian winner and Australia's No. 5 Minjee Lee for third-place in the LPGA Grand Slam.
Unlike Lee, who banked $547,200 for her efforts, Woad's amateur status means she had to forgo what would have been her share of the $8 million purse.
"I did have a look after and was like, 'oh no,'" joked Woad about Lee's check.
Woad to make pro debut next week
That all changes now, though, as Woad's finish made her the first player eligible to join the LPGA through the governing body's new lite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, in which top young golfers amass points to earn pro membership.
While the world's highest-ranking amateur initially said she would take the week to weigh turning pro with returning to Florida State for her final NCAA year, Woad made her decision to turn pro Tuesday morning.
In addition to accepting the LPGA membership, she will also join the European Tour in 2026 — an invite Woad earned with her Irish Open win.
"I have only reached this point in my career through the help and support that I've received from so many people and organisations over many years," Woad wrote in an Instagram post thanking her family and coaches. "I am very excited about this next chapter."
Woad's next chapter is imminent, as the world No. 64 announced her professional debut at the 2025 Scottish Open next week.
The field of established golf pros are already on notice, with Sweden's No. 30 Madelene Sagström warning that "[Woad is] going to take European and American golf by storm very soon."