Lottie Woad (Florida State Athletics Photo)

It was an up-and-down round for the sophomore from Florida State and the 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur champion, as she made five birdies and four bogeys to get to 1-under and, as it stands after one round, is the low amateur.

PREVIEW

Florida State sophomore Lottie Woad’s life and golf career has changed in a matter of days from promising college player to 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur
champion.

Plus, she has a spot in her first LPGA tournament, the 2024 Chevron Championship, starting Thursday. This is the first major of the ladies' season.

One moment, she’s thinking about the upcoming ACC Conference Tournament with her FSU teammates and the fast-approaching school finals. The next, she is being asked if she would make the traditional winners jump into the 18th-hole lake at the Carlton Woods Nicklaus course if she wins the Chevron on Sunday.

“It looks a little dirty, to be honest with you,” she said Wednesday during a pre-tournament press conference, “but sure, I would do it. It’s just one jump.”

Woad’s career has taken a massive jump from a solid but still young career to competing with the best female players in the world this week. Her biggest accomplishment was winning the British junior championship at Carnoustie GC.

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“It’s definitely a life-changing situation. I always knew I could compete out here, but now I want to follow in the footsteps of the other (four) ANWA winners. So far, two players, 2019 past champion Jennifer Kupco and 2023 winner Rose Zhang, have won on the LPGA Tour, but neither the week after their Augusta title, something Woad can accomplish this week.

“The days (since Augusta) have just flown by. It’s been exciting and fun, and I’m glad to be there.”

Woad is currently ranked No. 3 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women's Rankings.

But it has also led to some awkward and honest conversasions with people at Florida State. The first was her women’s golf coach, Amy Bond, to let her know she wouldn’t be competing in the 2024 ACC Conference Tournament at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, N.C., this week.

“That was kind of tough, but this was an LPGA major,” Woad said. The second was an e-mail to her Florida State teachers, who had excused her last week to play at Augusta. “I just sent them an e-mail saying I know you excused me for the ANWA last week. Well, I won the ANWA, and I’m playing in an LPGA major this week.” Asked when her college final exams were coming up, she wasn’t quite sure. “But I know really soon.”

Since her win, she has been able to bask in her realm of certified golf celebrity, which included being invited into the huge Augusta National clubhouse for a celebration with her dad and others and getting to meet green jacketed members and two-time winner Tom Watson at the club, who she said couldn’t be nicer.

One of her biggest thrills was seeing childhood idol Justin Rose send out an Instagram post that showed him watching Woad on TV during the final round as she charged her way to victory with birdies on holes 15, 17, and 18, a feat rarely duplicated by any Masters golfer male or female.

“That was really cool.” “I was surprised to see that many people there on Sunday, I never had that many people watch me. The birdie on 17 gave me a lot of momentum going to the last hole. I wasn’t thinking of the playoff going to the last hole; I was firing directly at the pin.

“But I was careful putting on the last green for sure, but as you know, it can be pretty slippery out there.” But the magical week at Augusta National Golf Club was capped by erasing the one large regret she had endured in her two visits there.

No, not winning in her first appearance in 2023 or going back-to-back, but the failure to visit the famed Augusta Golf Shop for Masters gifts.

“The first year (2023), I misjudged the time and ran out and didn’t get to make a visit. This year, somebody was nice enough to invite me to the member's golf shop, which wasn’t as crowded.

“I was able to get some shirts and some limited edition items and a lot of good things. The best part was that my dad was with me, and I didn’t pay for a thing.”

An amateur win this week at Chevron or the continued expansion of her rocket-ship-like career at Florida State, and it’s doubtful she will be paying for any golf items for a very long time.