Lottie Woad turned a three-shot Sunday lead into her second LPGA Tour title at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, holding off a charge from South Korea's Haeran Ryu on the quirky Donald Ross layout at Maketewah Country Club.
The English rookie, who turned professional through the LPGA's LEAP program, has now collected two trophies in only her 19th career start. The first came at her very first event, an unusual entry point that she said robbed her of the chance to fully take it in.
"I'm very happy to win my second one," Woad said. "It definitely feels like a bit longer than that, I'd say, because obviously the first one was my first first start, so kind of seeing how strong everyone is out here, it definitely feels a lot nicer to get the second one. I think the first one just happened so quickly that it was kind of hard to take in. Now being out here full-time and this being my job, this is definitely a lot sweeter."
Woad described Sunday at Maketewah as a wind-management exercise on small greens with constantly shifting crosswinds. A birdie at the par-three 17th, a delicate downhill putt with significant break, gave her a two-shot cushion on the par-three closing hole and effectively settled the championship.
"The wind today, it was definitely up there with the strongest of the days," Woad said. "It was crosswind most holes but kind of flip between into and down, so trying to judge those yardages into some smaller greens was definitely tricky. 17 definitely sticks out. Not an easy putt from where I was above the hole with a lot of break and had a little bit of pace going in, so pretty glad to hit the hole. It gave me a two-shot cushion on a par three, so I was pretty happy with that."
The putter that delivered her at Maketewah came with its own back story. After a missed cut last week, Woad spent the weekend in New Jersey on the practice green and replaced her putter grip after discovering it had been installed slightly off-centre.
"Last week was definitely the worst," Woad said. "I changed the putter grip so it was straight again and it felt a little better in my hands, but you know, I also spent last weekend just putting the whole time. I think it was a little bit of practice, but also the grip being on straight, too."
"Definitely changed my life," Woad said of LEAP. "I might not be sitting here with two LPGA tour wins if I didn't have that. I would have probably just gone to Q-School and you never know what happens with that. Very grateful for the opportunity that I had to get my card and that I could take it up straight away."
Woad joked that she beat the field by trusting her own number rather than scoreboarding rivals, and pushed back on the idea that watching playing partner Hailey Ryon's run changed her strategy.
"I was always trying to just shoot the lowest I could," Woad said. "Obviously starting with a free shot cushion if I shot a decent round, someone would have to play spectacular to catch me. So I think I was just trying to focus on my own score."
With a Solheim Cup year in front of her, Woad acknowledged the European team is already in her thinking, even as she insists results rather than calculations will earn the spot.
"It's definitely in the calendar," Woad said. "You're obviously looking at that. But I think if you just play good golf, you're going to be on the team and that's what I've been telling myself. To have my debut in Europe would be extra special."
Attention now turns to next month's U.S. Women's Open at Riviera Country Club, where Woad arrives with form, a straight grip, and a freshly minted second LPGA title.