Augusta National winner becomes world No.1 amateur

A champion at Augusta National and now the number one amateur in the world. 

Englishwoman Lottie Woad can now enjoy both those enviable distinctions after her unforgettable triumph between those cathedral pines of Georgia in April.

Woad, 20, became the first European player in history to win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, birdieing her final two holes in an unforgettable finish on the Sunday before this year’s Masters tournament.

The former Girls Amateur champ followed that surreal week with a T23 at the Chevron Championship, but missed the cut at the US Women’s Open – shooting 77-75 at a tough Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.

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Regardless, Woad now tops the women’s amateur rankings after taking over previous pacesetter Ingrid Lindblad.

Lindblad, the talented 24-year-old Swede who spent almost a year at the top of the rankings, is now turning professional, meaning Florida State University student Woad has now reached the summit.

Woad – a member at Farnham Golf Club – is being tipped for big things in the women’s game having delivered on one of golf’s biggest stages.

But the youngster showed that her feet were firmly grounded after her Augusta victory amid the obvious temptation to turn professional.

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“I don’t want to rush anything,” Woad said after her win.

“My career ambitions probably changed it a little bit, but not massively. I know I can compete with the people that were there. We play week in and week out with each other at college.

“I’ve won college events before against them. But getting that win, being the biggest win for me at a historic venue is definitely life-changing. But I don’t think it will really speed anything up or change my plans at all.”

Ben Parsons is the Senior Writer at bunkered and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.