In what can only be described as a dream professional debut, England’s Lottie Woad made an instant impact at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, finishing just one shot behind early leader Charlotte Laffar after a confident opening round at Dundonald Links.
The 21-year-old, fresh off her transition from amateur status, showed the poise of a seasoned pro as she delivered a five-under 67 on Thursday. Her round included six birdies, most notably a brilliant tee shot on the par-three 11th that nearly dropped for a hole-in-one. Only a late bogey at the 17th prevented her from sharing the top spot.
Leading the way is fellow Englishwoman Charlotte Laffar, who returned to the Ladies European Tour just three months ago after taking a four-year break from competitive golf to raise her sons, Freddie and Oscar. The 29-year-old carded a composed six-under 66 to top the leaderboard, proving that class and form never truly fade.
“I’ve got no pressure anymore,” Laffar said after her round. “Golf isn’t my everything the way it used to be. My kids come first now, and this just feels like something I enjoy doing again. I want them to see the golfer I used to be.”
Woad, meanwhile, is already living up to the hype that surrounded her amateur career. After winning the KPMG Women’s Irish Open earlier this month, she officially turned pro last week — a decision that came after finishing just one shot shy of a playoff at the Evian Championship, costing her a potential £400,000 in earnings due to her amateur status at the time.
Despite that near miss, Woad is focused on moving forward. “I’m really happy with how I played,” she said. “It was pretty solid all day. I think I only missed one green, so it was low stress most of the time.”
Now part of the LPGA Tour, Woad seems intent on carrying her strong form into the professional ranks. “It didn’t feel massively different today,” she added. “Having played in a lot of big events already gave me the confidence I needed. I’m just trying to keep the momentum going.”
Joining Woad in the tie for second are Ireland’s Leona Maguire — a former world No. 1 amateur herself — Japan’s Rio Takeda, Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz, and Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, all of whom shot matching rounds of 67.
Also of note, Woad outscored world No. 1 Nelly Korda and PGA Championship winner Minjee Lee, both of whom struggled to match her level on the day.
Laffar’s round began with a bogey, but she quickly found her groove with birdies at the 3rd, 4th, and 7th holes. She picked up four more on the back nine, including a stunning 20-foot putt on the 17th that helped her recover from a blemish on the 15th.
With the second round set to tee off on Friday morning, all eyes will be on whether Woad can keep pace — or even take the lead — as her professional journey gets off to an electric start.
