Is English golfer Lottie Woad the recent talk of the town? Yep, and for good reason! Following Woad’s first win in her pro debut at the 2025 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, she has become only the third player in history to win in her first start as an LPGA pro! Thus, she’s now part of an exclusive list consisting of Jin Young Ko (2018) and Beverly Hanson (1951), and yes, her it-girl status has been earned rightfully. Now, here’s the question: how big of a threat does that make her to the other pros on the circuit?
Although Charley Hull agrees with that thought, she’s still keeping it real with her take on the current spotlight – and she’s not sugarcoating. Ahead of the 2025 AIG Women’s Open, a major where Woad is one of the favorites, Hull tried to explain how she’s ready to deal with the Woad-like threat this week.
In her candid statement, Hull said: “I think what Lottie Woad has done is unbelievable.” Hull would know all about it, of course, having played with Woad in Ireland and then at Dundonald Links last week. Which is why Hull agrees on Woad being “a breath of fresh air for the game.” A pretty favorable opinion on the rising star, right?
Now, onto the very real competition? Hull replied, “At the end of the day, I want to win the tournament and everything, but I don’t care when people say, oh, I’m still here. I am still here. I’m out there enjoying it. No, I’m proud of Lottie for what she’s done. That’s like goose bumps kind of stuff.” Now, that’s something that even Lydia Ko can agree with. On Tuesday, Ko said of sharing tee time with Woad this week, “I’m excited. She’s coming in with a ton of momentum, and I think there’s going to be a lot of people that’s going to come out and watch her.”
Charley Hull’s hunger to see her “name on the trophy” is fueled by past disappointments. In her last 13 appearances at this event, she missed the cut five times, with her best finish being 2nd place in 2023 and a disappointing finish outside the top 10 in 2024. This season, despite her efforts, Hull’s struggled to find her footing, making the top 10 just once in 11 starts, making her desire for a win all the more intense.
Now, she admits, “I want to see my name on the trophy. I don’t care about being up in the headlines. I don’t read the headlines. I literally go out there and play golf and play good and hopefully get my name on the trophy.” And that’s something even her competition, Lottie Woad, believes in.
Lottie Woad remains unfazed by the favorite status at the 2025 AIG Women’s Open.
Lottie Woad is riding high after a spectacular start to her professional career, and she’s ready to take on the challenge of the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl. Just last week, she clinched the Scottish Open title, her first win as a pro, and now she’s gunning for another major victory. Despite the pressure of being the favorite at the 2025 AIG Women’s Open, Woad seems unfazed, saying, “I don’t know how they do it, but I feel like I’m playing well… anyone can win really.”
I guess that’s a pretty good first week at work.. Happy to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open!
Thank you to everyone for an amazing week! pic.twitter.com/TJj5GwztVz
— Lottie Woad (@LottieWoad) July 27, 2025
Woad’s rise to stardom has been startling, with bookmakers offering odds of 6-1 for her to win the tournament – a feat usually reserved for seasoned champions like Tiger Woods or Scottie Scheffler. But the 21-year-old from Surrey is performing like a pro, demonstrating a golfing maturity beyond her years. When asked about her stunning start to life in the paid ranks, Woad humbly replied, “I was just looking to have a good experience that we could learn from and just try to play good golf, and that’s how it happened. And then I guess I got the win.”
As she prepares to take on the best golfers in the world, Woad’s focus is on the game ahead. She’s already thinking about how to spend her first professional paycheck, joking, “I need to get a car in America.” With former Women’s Open champion Karen Stupples backing her to win, Woad’s future is straightforward: “Yes, absolutely [she is going to make it].” But can she make it happen? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – Lottie Woad is a force to be reckoned with.
The post ‘I Don’t Care’: Charley Hull Delivers Verdict on Rookie Lottie Woad Upstaging LPGA’s Biggest Names appeared first on EssentiallySports.
