There has been some drama down the years at Augusta National. What Lottie Woad did down the iconic course’s closing stretch belongs with all the legends.
Leeds fan Lottie, overnight leader of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, stared down the barrel at two behind – only to produce five of the most clutch holes of her young life to wrench back the trophy.
It’s hard to describe how dramatic it was in the flesh. A quite sensational up and down at 14, a brilliant birdie at 15 after her tee shot veered close to a tree, and wonderful back-to-back birdies at the 17th and tough 18th, meant she pipped Bailey Shoemaker by a single stroke.
Three birdies in the final four holes. It was the finish of dreams. But perhaps the only one not surprised she managed it was Woad herself.
“I knew teeing off, only having a two-shot lead, at some point during the round someone was probably going to overtake me with it probably being scorable,” she explained.
“Because I looked at the pins before and they were in some pretty nice locations, so I was prepared for someone to go low.
“When I ended up being two back, I was like, okay, so I’ve got these birdie chances that they have. Just gave myself the chances at the end and luckily holed some putts.”
She added: “I don’t really get too hyped up on the golf course. I’ll rarely fist pump. I think the last two holes, I probably threw a little one in there. That’s probably the most you’ll get out of me.
“I just like to stay in the moment, and it’s something I’ve been working on. So I just don’t want to get too ahead of myself really.”
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Calm and collected, it shone through every shot. Shoemaker had earlier blazed a trail around Augusta National. Four back at the start of play, she fired the low score of the day (66) to vault Woad at the top of the leaderboard.
And when Woad bogeyed 13 and hit a tree from the tee at 14, the American appeared the most likely winner.
But Woad simply would not yield. In a wonderful final hour of golf, the 20-year-old showed exactly why there are such big expectations for her.
Perched on the back of 14 after her long approach from 215 yards skipped over the green, Woad had to hit it away from the hole and let it gather the slope.
It was impossible to stop it short but she caught the edge of the hole with a 10-foot par putt to stay in touch.
Forced to lay up on 15 after getting too close to a tree, this up and down for birdie – the putt now dropping from 15-feet – was almost as impressive as the last.
A birdie putt at 16 somehow failed to drop but the momentum now felt in her favour. Outstanding approach shots set up two birdie putts that felt like destiny calling.
Lottie Woad: “If I’d gone three back, it would have been pretty difficult”
“I felt like the three birdies I got were probably not as important as my par save on 14 because I think if I’d gone three back at that point, it would have been pretty difficult to get that back,” Woad added. “So a good save there after having like 215 in because I hit the tree.
“15, didn’t hit a good drive either, had to lay up, but managed to hit it to maybe about 15 feet. I think I had 104 in [on 17], so it was a good chance there. The putt I left myself was pretty quick. I knew I definitely wasn’t going to be able to leave that short. Just kind of set it on its way and managed to catch the right edge and it went in.
“On 18, I was honestly just thinking about making birdie rather than par. I knew I needed par for the playoff, but the pin was such a nice pin that I knew I could use that backstop a little bit. I’m not sure the shot used it in the end.
“Then that putt, I feel like it was probably going past, but I was just being sure I didn’t three-putt it either with it being so quick. It was a bit of a double-breaker, and luckily it broke back right at the end.”
It now gives the former Girls Amateur Champion, at college at Florida State University, a run at the year’s majors. But while there was elation for her, it was tough on Shoemaker, who had asked the toughest of questions.
She had produced her own moment of magic on 16 when, fingers crossed when the ball was in the air, her tee shot clipped the bank and jumped forward to almost tap-in range.
Shoemaker said: “I just knew if I made the cut, I’d be in good position. It’s the day at Augusta, you’re playing the final round in a tournament.
“It’s just an amazing opportunity. Just an awesome experience. I was excited to play today. I said that to everybody I talked to. I was just excited to get out and play. Not keeping too much in mind, just wanted to go out and have fun more than anything.”
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