Relentless Woad seven clear as Anna Foster comes of age
She might have a seven-shot lead but there is no romanticism about world number amateur Lottie Woad as she heads into the final round of the KMPG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House with a whopping seven-shot lead.
The 21-year-old English woman has the poise and the cold-eyed focus of a seasoned professional and after carding bogey-free, six-under 67 to match Elm Park’s Anna Foster and England’s Meghan MacLaren with the low round of the day, she plans to keep her foot on the gas and become the first amateur to win an LET event since 2022.
“Yeah, very happy with that,” said Load, who has made just one bogey in 54 holes and leads by seven shots on 17-under from two-time LPGA Tour winner Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden, who shot 70.
“I think I was trying to extend the lead today, if possible, and just kind of keep playing the way I was playing the previous days and everything went pretty well,” Woad said.
Even when in trouble, Woad saved par time and again with her 15 footer at the par-five 17th one of the highlights of a day that featured four birdies in her first eight holes and two more at the 15th and 16th.
“Obviously I want to win it,” said the Surrey native, who carries the ball 252. yards from the tee and ranks among the longer hitters in the field.
“So I'm just going to keep playing my game and then just see where it puts me.”
That doesn’t mean she will be playing away from flags, even with Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley eight shot back after a 71 or world number 19 Charley Hull nine behind in a five-way tie for fourth after a 70.
“I can’t relax too much tomorrow,” Woad said. “I just want to try and get off to a good start and and then just force everyone to try and catch me really.”
Foster might be ten shots behind but she can notch another lucrative finish after making nine birdies in her 67, including four in her last six holes, to share ninth place on seven-under,
The 23-year-old Dubliner started the day tied for 25th having arrived in Co Kildare brimming with confidence after notching a career-best tied fourth finish in last week’s German Masters.
At 31st in the Order of Merit, she can make another big move on Sunday but she hopes she continues to play with the patience that has brought her this far.
“I think I've just been able to stay patient throughout the year,” said Foster. “I felt like I've been playing well for a good few weeks, just waiting for it all to click.
“And last week I found that it just kind of clicked so that definitely gave me a bit of confidence going into this week.”
After birdies at the first and fourth were erased by a double bogey six at the fifth, Foster birdied the sixth, eighth and 10th before following another dropped at the 11th with four birdies in her last six holes, including a 15 footer at the last.
“I just played really solid all day, and gave myself a lot of chances, and then I played the par fives really well,” she said.
“I was driving well and a long way today so that definitely gave me a little bit of an advantage on some holes. It just kind of felt like it was just solid day in general.”
The Auburn University graduate to dig deep in Friday’s high winds to shoot 74 and make the cut and with her card all but secure, she felt she had the freedom to attack the O’Meara course in more benign conditions yesterday.
“Definitely satisfied,” she said. “Yesterday, it was a grind. So it was nice to be able to go out today with a bit more like freedom and just be more aggressive.
“I was really happy I stayed really patient. You have to be patient out here, because, if you just kind of keep staying in the present, the birdie chances will come.
“Today, that's great. But I still have another round tomorrow, so the main focus now is on getting ready for that.”
Leona Maguire carded a three-under 70 to share 29th on two-under and while she wasn’t 100 percent happy after going out in four-under, she hopes to build momentum for next week’s Amundi Evian Championship.
“Obviously it’s very different weather here than we're going to get at the Evian so the priority is to get out of here with my swing intact in these winds,” Maguire explained.
“So we make sure we reset after these rounds and just keep it dialled in. Putting was was nice again today, which is good heading into a major so overall, I feel like I'm trending in the right direction heading into next week.”
Elm Park amateur Emma Fleming carded a level par 73 alongside European Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist to remain on level par.
"I think Anna brought the crowd so they were probably there more for her than me but it was good,” said Fleming, who is going into her third year of Economics and Finance studies at UCD.
"When I saw the draw last night I was very excited just to see how she played. Her strategy was really impressive, laying up and things like that, she chose the smart shot so that was interesting to see.”
As for her game, she was happy with it as she looks forward to next week’s European Amateur Team Championships in France,
“I’m happy with how I'm hitting it. My driver is better so that's why I was happy with my scoring with how windy it was. My driver is more reliable which takes the big numbers out of play.
"My putting was good the first two days, I struggled today. I was putting it nice but they just weren't dropping.”
Rookie Canice Screene, who was born in England to Irish parents, shot a 76 to share 65th on five over as she looks to improve her status on tour and clinch a full LET card.
“It's such a learning experience,” said the 23-year-old, who is 140th in the Order of Merit from seven starts with the top 100 exempt next year.
“The last five weeks have been like insane, because it's been five weeks back to back, and because of my status, I've kind of felt like I have to play in everything.
“You just don't know, especially towards the end of the season, how many starts you're going to get. But I've learned so much, and if I take something away from it, then it's like a success.
“Obviously making the cut this week is the best thing because that's the one that matters the most to me.”
Winner of the AIG Irish Women’s Close last year, Londoner Screene says she’s always felt 100 percent Irish.
“So my Mum is from Belmullet in Mayo, and my dad, he's half Galway, half Tipperary,” she said with a grin.
“I've got aunt and uncle who live, like, half an hour away from here in Firhouse. So they're all here today.
“I was born in England because my parents have lived over in England for my whole life. But I've got no English blood, so I've never been interested in England.”
