Lottie Woad has won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, taming the course’s famed finishing holes to charge back up the leaderboard on Saturday.
Woad birdied the 15th, 17th and 18th holes to finish at 8-under, one stroke ahead of Bailey Shoemaker. The comeback was complete with a long birdie putt on 18, from pin high. The Florida State sophomore was fearless, attacking the cup with a putt that looked good the whole way.
Woad began the final round of the fifth ANWA in the lead and played the front nine in 1-under, but Shoemaker was making a charge from further up the course. The latter started the day four shots behind, but played the first 11 holes in 4-under and then tacked on two more birdies (12 pars, 6 birdies for the day) to take the lead walking off 18. She lingered on the grass in front of the clubhouse, went inside and then was warming up for a potential playoff with Woad. Shoemaker’s final round was the best on the course by three strokes.
However, Woad, a native of Farnham, England, bogeyed No. 13 and then somehow flipped a switch, including that remarkable birdie-birdie finish. Her final round was a 3-under 69.
Woad, 20, was a first-team All-American at FSU as a freshman and has also won the R&A Girls’ Amateur.
The winning moment for Lottie Woad.#ANWAGolf
