Lottie Woad’s review of 2021 and into 2022

LOTTIE WOAD’S REVIEW

OF 2021 AND INTO 2022

2021 began with the country back in a COVID lockdown, with golf courses closed until late March. I was very fortunate, as a member of the England Girls Squad, to qualify for an exemption to be able to practice at a local facility.

My club, Farnham, kindly agreed that I could use their range, so I was a solitary figure, practising hard on my own, for a few months. I’d like to thank FGC and England Golf for enabling me to do this, together with my sister Milly and my parents who picked up hundreds of balls every weekend, so that I had a supply for the following week!

Happily, golf resumed in the Spring, but unfortunately overseas travel remained difficult, so planned trips to tournaments throughout Europe and England team matches, such as the European Championships and World Junior Girls in Canada were not possible. It also meant that I, along with others from the UK, were unable to play any of the qualifying events for the Junior Solheim Cup, so for the first time, the European team did not have any players from GB and Ireland.

However, a near full season of homebased tournaments went ahead, which was great after the limited schedule of 2020. I’ve picked out a few highlights:

Farnham GC hosted the inaugural England U18 Championship, which had a field of 66 boys and 66 girls competing for a single prize. My club did a fantastic job hosting the championship, they’re a worthy finalist in the upcoming England Golf Awards for Tournament Venue of the Year.

I opened with a pair of 68s to be the halfway leader. It was a great experience playing in the last group for the final two rounds on the Sunday, cheered by a large gallery of members, but I eventually finished runner-up to Jenson Forrester. However, as leading girl I received an invite to play in a LET event, which is planned for early summer.

I achieved my first National Women’s Open Championship when I won the Wales Ladies Open Strokeplay at Newport GC. It was great to get my name on the trophy alongside some of the famous past winners, such as Dame Laura Davies, who triumphed in 1984!

I also won four prestigious 36 hole women’s amateur tournaments staged on some brilliant courses; The Critchley Salver at Sunningdale, The Bridget Jackson Bowl at Handsworth, The Liphook Scratch Cup and the Centenary Cup at Porters Park.

I was very pleased with my level of performance during 2021, allowing me to challenge and go close in numerous

Lottie Woad has claimed a double trophy success by winning both the girls’ and the women’s England Golf Order of Merit titles.

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tournaments. These included runner-up finishes in the Peter McEvoy Trophy, the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship, the Astor Salver and the Frilford Scratch. I was fifth in the English Women’s Open Strokeplay Championship at Wallasey, shooting 12 under par over the final 36 holes.

This consistency earned me both the Women’s and the Girl’s England Golf Order of Merit titles.

I proudly represented England in the Girls & Boys Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa. I won six points from six matches (three foursomes and three singles), the only player from any side to do so, in England’s victory.

It was also brilliant to be part of the Surrey Women’s Team that won the National Final at Denham, Surrey’s first victory in 26 years. I had a 100% record in this event too, winning all five of my matches (singles). The team played superbly and were skillfully led by playing captain Nicola Taylor, County Captain Sue Wild and coach John Noble.

Late in 2021, foreign travel became possible and I was able to go to Paris in November for the rearranged French U21 championships at Saint Cloud. The tournament had a strong field comprising the best 90 players from across Europe, with only the top 16 progressing to matchplay after 36 holes.

I qualified and won my first round match against a German international. I then faced a Junior Solheim Cup player in the quarterfinal. It was a tight match, made tougher by my putter breaking on the eighth hole when I was one down. I putted with my hybrid for the remaining holes, holing a 20 footer for birdies on 16, before two putting from 70 feet on the last to win one up!

Sadly, using a borrowed putter, I lost my semi-final to the eventual champion, but I was pleased with my performance, as it was my first event in Europe for 2½ years. 2022 has begun well with a fourthplace finish in the Portuguese Women’s International Open over 72 holes at Montado near Lisbon.

I’m super excited to have been selected in the initial squad of 12 for the Curtis Cup. The final eight players to take on the USA at Merion will be picked on 26 April.

I’m very excited to see what 2022 will bring, before beginning life as a student athlete on a scholarship at Florida State University in August.

© Eades Studio

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