Nelly Korda impressed from under the radar part of the victory of Lottie Woad

Nelly Korda understands the spotlights. The World No. 1 is the most important attraction at every event she does. She is the headliner for this era of ladies’ golf.

But those spotlights were something Korda grew on; It was not put on her as soon as she arrived on the professional stage. There was always buzz over Korda, but it gradually built up over time to the place where it is today.

That is not the case for Lottie Woad, the 21-year-old phenomenon that just became Pro after a T3 on the Evian Championship and won in her first start as a professional at the Women’s Scottish Open last week.

“This is my 10th year on tour,” said Korda after the third round of last week when he was asked to tell her professional debut on the Symetra tour. “It is clear that my professional debut was not in the spotlight like that of hers. But for her to succeed and the event to lead is pretty special.”

Woad went on the last round of Sunday in Dundonald with a lead with two shots. The English woman was unimaginable when Hyo Joo Kim caught her when she made the turn on Sunday and responded with Birdies on 13 and 14 to walk to her first LPGA victory. Woad came to Rose Zhang and Beverly Hanson as the only two players who win in their pro -debut.

Korda played with Woad for the first two rounds in Scotland. Although WOAD’s talent is clear, something else Korda hit the victory of the young star.

“Absolutely great,” Korda said on Tuesday about Woad prior to the Aig Women’s open. “I was very impressed with her calm, her process. I think it is about her shot routine, especially under pressure and in the heat of the moment, sometimes people seem to be fiddling with it and they doubt it. But she kept holding on, she kept her process every time, and I think that is one of the most comfortable in her age.”

Woad admitted on Tuesday that she did not know Kim had caught her when she reached the rear nine on Sunday. The lack of score signs at Dundonald allowed her to keep her focus on her own process, and as soon as she made back-to-back Birdies on 13 and 14, she recalled her kisses and could send it for the victory in the clubhouse.

The 21-year-old rising star rarely broke around Dundonald during her Sunday cruise. Even when she tapped to strengthen her victory, she responded as if it were just a different victory – as she had done this bee This level years.

“I felt pretty comfortable,” Woad said Tuesday. “Just like the last day, I hit a lot of fairways and many greens, so it was pretty stress -free, to be honest. There were not many holes where I felt that I was going to make Bogey; I was unable to do that.”

The victory of Woad, together with her T3 with the Evian and her victory as an amateur at the Women’s Irish Open, has devoted her to the Aig Women’s Open Championship on Royal Porthcawl this week. That position would usually be occupied by Korda, who sees Woad as a threat despite the relative inexperience of the young person at large championships.

“Golf is a game of trust, and she is certainly high there now, so she will trust everything,” Korda said about Woad. “Yes, her worst finish in the last three events is theoretically second or third. I think she also drives a trust high with how well she plays.”

Woad, always modest and gentle, did not make Woad much of the bookmakers who installed her as a favorite. Given her recent run, she understands it, but is also aware that that all means zero when the balls go into the air on Thursday. The victory in Scotland showed the world that Woad has arrived, but it was her final round in France in the Evian – a Sunday 64 who saw her a shot from the play -off won by Grace Kim – so she believes she can continue her run in Wales this week.

“Some Majors who made the cut, I didn’t really wear the best weekend, so I hoped to capitalize a bit more about it,” Woad said about her final round at the Evian. “The last round was also very good. Yes, it certainly gives me confidence and knowing that I can haunt it on Sunday.”

Even more eyes will be aimed at Woad this week, while she wants to continue her hot run and adds an important title to her early career. This week the spotlight will be even clearer on the young English star, who plays the first two rounds next to the 2024 champion Lydia Ko and Lilia Vu. With the big season of the gentlemen packed, the procedure this week at Royal Porthcawl will be the focus of the golf world, with Woad in the middle of the storm.

That is something she is willing to deal with, even if she still learns how to deal with everything that is accompanied by a star perspective that arrives historically.

“I think it’s still a learning process,” Woad said about dealing with pressure. “I don’t think you can really treat it completely. I absolutely have the feeling that I am much better at it. I just try to block the sound as much as possible.”

Her blinkers worked perfectly in Scotland, something that Korda noticed. They will have to be even better if they are contrary to themselves in the Royal Porthcawl during the weekend.