Woad’s Wonderful Walk: Amateur Shines Bright in Irish Open Triumph
English starlet claims maiden LET title with a composed six-shot victory at Carton House
Las Vegas - Amateur Lottie Woad stormed to a six-shot victory at the 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House, A Fairmont Hotel in Ireland, sealing her first Ladies European Tour (LET) title.
The world number one amateur began the final day with a commanding seven-shot lead after rounds of 68, 67 and 67 on the O’Meara Course. A closing round of 69 was more than enough to finish on 21-under-par, comfortably ahead of the field.
“It means a lot to get the win,” said Woad, who won the Augusta Women’s National Amateur in 2024. “Obviously, I had a big lead coming into today, but I still had to really focus as I was being chased by some really good players. I’m happy to get it done. It’s perfect. I feel like I’m playing well, and I hope to continue that into Evian next week.”
Woad’s final round featured birdies at the second and fourth holes, offset by a rare bogey at the fifth. She regained momentum with birdies at the eighth and 13th, then overcame another bogey on the 15th with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 to close in style.
“It felt pretty comfortable overall,” she added. “There were a few moments at the start of the back nine that could have gone wrong, but I managed to hang in there and finish with some nice birdies. As soon as I birdied the second hole with a nice 12-footer, that settled me.”
Woad remains focused on completing her LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) before turning professional. “No, I’m not tempted to turn pro yet,” she said. “I’m still trying to get my final two points for the LPGA. I’m trying to get those and then we will see what happens after that.”
Sweden’s Madelene Sagström claimed outright second place on 15-under after a closing 68. The Solheim Cup star produced a strong finish, rolling in five birdies over her final eight holes.
“She [Lottie] played wonderfully,” said Sagström. “It was going to be a hard task with the scores from yesterday. I’m really pleased with my game, especially the back nine. We’re all trying to do our best out here. Some days you win and most days you don’t. It was Lottie’s week; it was wonderful to watch her play.”
New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey produced the round of the day with a 67 to finish third on 14-under. The LET rookie opened with three straight birdies and added three more on the back nine to book her place at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open and her debut at the AIG Women’s Open.
“It’s unreal, just to have another good week after playing five weeks in a row,” said Garvey. “I knew a good week here would get me in the AIG Women’s Open and it’ll be my first one, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
England’s Charley Hull finished fourth at 12-under, with four players — Spain’s Fatima Fernandez Cano, England’s Hannah Screen, Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini and Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley — tied for fifth on 10-under.
France’s Celine Herbin, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Alexandra Swayne and France’s Anne-Charlotte Mora rounded out the top 10 at nine-under-par.
On the LET Order of Merit, Sagström climbed to 40th while Garvey jumped from 15th to 10th.