Lottie Woad captured her second LPGA Tour title after holding off Haeran Ryu on a gusty Sunday afternoon at Maketewah Country Club in the Kroger Queen City Championship in Ohio.
Three strokes ahead of playing partner Amanda Doherty and four ahead of Ryu entering the final round, the 22-year-old from Farnham Golf Club in Surrey closed with a 1-under 69 for a two-stroke victory at 12-under.
“I played pretty good tee-to-green,” said Woad, who fired earlier rounds of 70, 64 and 65 to set up her bid for victory. “I hit a lot greens and fairways. It was pretty windy out there, so trying to judge the yardages into some smaller greens was definitely tricky. I did that pretty well, and I think that was key to my win.”
Woad made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th to open a two-stroke lead, with Ryu parring the par-3 18th soon after in the group ahead to post at 10 under. She overcame a double bogey on the par-4 sixth. The former Florida State star birdied the seventh, parred the next five and dropped a stroke on the par-4 13th. After three more pars, she got a long birdie effort to drop on 17 and the parred the par-3 18th to seal the deal.
“This win definitely feels a little sweeter than the first, because I wasn’t really expecting that,” said Woad, who won the Women’s Scottish Open on her professional debut last July. “Since then I’ve seen how good everyone is out here, so it’s good to win again.”
Miyu Yamashita took third place on 9-under after a closing 64, while Ruoning Yin was fourth was 8 under, and Doherty and Jin Young Ko were 7 under.
Jeeno Thitikul, last week’s winner in New Jersey, was another shot back after a 69, while Nelly Korda finished tied eighth at 5 under, after shooting a closing 67.