England's World Number One Amateur Woad Turns Pro

English golfer Lottie Woad believes she will person plentifulness of earning opportunities having turned master conscionable 2 days aft astir becoming nan first amateur female to triumph a awesome for 58 years.

The 21-year-old from Farnham missed retired connected much than £400,000 prize money aft she vanished 3rd astatine past Sunday's Evian Championship. A week earlier she won nan Irish Open connected nan Ladies European Tour (LET).

"I'm excited to beryllium turning professional," Woad told BBC Sport. A hugely successful amateur profession has ensured playing privileges connected nan some nan LPGA Tour and LET.

She has wasted nary clip successful joining nan paid ranks. "I ever knew that erstwhile I sewage nan opportunity, I would return it and I consciousness for illustration I americium ready," Woad said.

As an amateur, she was incapable to judge astir £407,000 successful prize money successful France aft forgoing a £58,000 cheque astatine Carton House nan erstwhile week. But missing retired connected specified riches is of small interest to nan Surrey youngster.

"I went into these events not being capable to gain immoderate money, truthful you can't look astatine what you mightiness person sewage afterwards," she said. "There'll beryllium plentifulness of opportunities, I assume, successful nan future.

"It would decidedly person been nice, but I really wasn't caring astir nan money erstwhile I was trying to triumph nan major."

Woad, who has topped nan world amateur rankings for much than a year, will make her pro debut astatine adjacent week's Scottish Open astatine Dundonald. Then she will compete astatine nan season's last major, nan AIG Women's Open astatine Royal Porthcawl, which starts connected 30 July.

"I deliberation it will, for sure, consciousness different having turned professional," Woad added. "I'm hoping nan modulation will not consciousness arsenic difficult arsenic it has for others.

"I've played successful fields truthful I've sewage that acquisition and I've played connected nan LET too, truthful I tin usage each that to my advantage. And I'm going successful pinch assurance truthful that is ever good.

"Winning successful Ireland was really special. I had a large lead and managed to triumph by six successful nan extremity truthful it was beautiful accent free connected nan Sunday, which is astir apt nan nicest measurement to get your first triumph and I was really happy pinch that performance.

"I put my ft down and played really well. I didn't really get nan chance to observe it because I went consecutive to nan Evian and conscionable focused connected that."

Last Sunday successful France, Woad fired a last information 64, narrowly missing birdie chances connected nan past 3 greens.

"I knew if I started retired basking I'd person a chance," she said. "I was retired an hr earlier nan last group and was 3 nether done 4 and was retired successful 30 and I knew I was correct successful nan heavy of it then.

"It felt awesome and I felt comfortable and I was precisely wherever I wanted to be. I'm amazed really relaxed I felt, but I conjecture I'd locked up my apical 25 truthful astatine nan very worst I was going to get my LPGA card."

By finishing third, a changeable down eventual champion Grace Kim and world number 2 Jeeno Thitikul astatine nan Evian Championship, Woad comfortably secured nan remaining 2 points she needed for that LPGA Tour eligibility.

The Florida State student was already each but guaranteed satisfying nan eligibility criteria for nan tour's Elite Amateur Pathway which provides a way consecutive to nan women's game's biggest circuit.

Easily attaining nan top-25 decorativeness that took her to nan magic number of 20 eligibility points, meant that she would debar imaginable golfing torture astatine qualifying schoolhouse for nan superior women's tour.

"The sky's nan limit," England Golf capacity head Nigel Edwards told BBC Sport aft her triumph successful Ireland.

"She intelligibly has that belief and that's 1 of nan hardest places to get your mindset to."

Solheim Cup prima Madelene Sagstrom, who Woad hit successful Ireland, said: "She's going to return European and American play by large wind very soon."

Last year, Woad claimed 3 precocious birdies to onshore nan prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur, connected nan eve of nan men's Masters, successful thrilling fashion. She is besides a erstwhile victor of nan Girls' Amateur Championship.

For Florida State, she has been an extraordinarily accordant performer. This twelvemonth she posted 2 wins among 10 top-three finishes successful 11 tournaments.

Woad vanished successful a stock of 10th spot astatine past year's Women's Open astatine St Andrews to triumph nan Smyth Salver, nan prize for nan champion amateur performance. Now she is eyeing nan title trophy and nan prize money that goes pinch it.