Lottie Woad has done it! She clinched the title at the LPGA Queen City Championship on Sunday, celebrating her first tour win on US soil. The Englishwoman showed nerves of steel, delivering a final round 69 (one under par) to pull away from the field.
What an incredible round the 22-year-old rising star from Surrey conjured up at Maketwah Country Club in Cincinnati already on Saturday. A truly strong 65 (five under par) secured her a comfortable three-shot lead heading into the final round. With that, she had the tournament firmly in her grasp.
War of Nerves on the Final Day
Sunday started like a dream for Woad. Two birdies on the first five holes catapulted her to 13 under par – things were looking excellent. But the sixth tee shot brought a bitter setback: a double-bogey slowed her momentum. The tension was palpable. Yet, Woad impressively fought back. With a bogey on the next hole and subsequent pars on the entire back nine, she secured her second LPGA Tour title. She had claimed her first in July 2025 at the Scottish Open.
Her final 69 brought Woad to a total score of 12 under par with 268 strokes. That was enough for a two-shot lead over South Korean Ryu Hae-ran, who entered the clubhouse at ten under par with a strong round of 67 (three under par), but could no longer catch Woad.
Meteoric Rise
This victory is the latest stop on a meteoric rise for Lottie Woad. Exactly one year ago, in May 2025, she was still preparing for the US college championships. Just two months later, in July 2025, her first LPGA win in Scotland followed. A steep path now crowned with her first US triumph.
"This win is definitely a bit sweeter than the first because I didn't really expect it," Woad said after the round. "I've seen how good everyone is out there, so it's good to win again. I just played pretty well from tee to green. I hit a lot of greens, a lot of fairways. And it was quite windy out there, so I think that was key to holding onto the lead."
Stiff Competition on the Course
Japanese Miyi Yamashita finished the tournament in third place. She delivered a furious round of 64 (six under par), but she ran out of holes. At nine under par, it wasn't enough to seriously threaten Woad. Her round, which included four consecutive birdies to finish, was truly strong. "It's been a while since I had such a good score, and the wind was strong, but I was able to play the entire round with a really good feeling," Yamashita explained.
China's Yin Ruoning was eight under par with a round of 66 (four under par), four shots behind the winner. One shot behind that, in a tie for fifth place, were Amanda Doherty from the USA and South Korean Ko Jin-Young, each with
