Lottie Woad is set to defend her title at the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open, a year after her stunning debut win as a professional. This achievement marked her as the third player in LPGA Tour history to win on their first professional start, following in the footsteps of Rose Zhang and Beverly Hanson. Woad's triumph in 2025 was indeed special, showcasing her long-touted talent that shone as an amateur. Her name first floated onto the radar in May 2022 when she made her debut on the Ladies European Tour, finishing in 10th place at the Madrid Open. This performance paved the way for her enrollment at Florida State, where she would become WGCA Freshman of the Year, a junior FSU Female Athlete of the Year, and ACC Golfer of the Year. Her rise continued in April 2024 with a win at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, followed by claiming the No 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and becoming the first English woman to win the Mark H. McCormack Medal. Woad's success in the amateur ranks translated into her professional career, with a tied-10th finish at the 2024 AIG Women's Open, a maiden LET victory at the KPMG Women's Irish Open, and a narrow miss at making history as an amateur at the Amundi Evian Championship. Her performance in the latter event has since been followed by further major top-10s at the 2025 Women's Open (eighth) and 2026 Chevron Championship (seventh), while she held the halfway lead at the 2026 Evian Championship two weeks ago before fading to a tied-16th finish. The 22-year-old already sits a remarkable fifth in the Rolex Women's World Rankings, registering a second LPGA Tour win at the Kroger Queen City Championship in May. During her Scottish Open victory last year, Woad was grouped with world No 1 Nelly Korda, who has since doubled her career major tally to four with wins at the Chevron and US Women's Open this year. Korda's presence at every event she attends has become a highlight, drawing large crowds and making her the person everybody is coming to see. Woad, who is again grouped with Korda and Hull for the opening two rounds of her title defense at Dundonald Links, sees this as a positive, hoping for a repeat of the big crowd last year. The question remains: Who will win the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open? The answer will be revealed from July 23-26, live on Sky Sports Golf. Get ready for an exciting tournament!
