Ahead of the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Lottie Woad talks about growing up watching Georgia Hall win on the same course, drawing on past experience of high-pressure weeks, and what it means to now be the player a new generation looks up to.

Lottie Woad still remembers exactly where she was for one of her earliest golfing memories: at home, watching Georgia Hall win the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes on television. It’s the moment she returns to when asked about her history with this championship, and this week she’s back at the same course, this time as a competitor rather than a spectator.

“That’s the one I can remember most watching on TV — when Georgia won,” she says. “I watched all the rounds of it, obviously supporting an English player trying to win.”

Hall and Charley Hull were the players she grew up idolising, and Woad admits there’s still something strange about now sharing a field with them rather than watching from the sofa. “It is kind of weird now, playing with them. It’s a little bit different. But, it’s great.”

Drawing on experience

Woad says she’s approaching this week with a calmer mindset than she managed twelve months ago, pointing to lessons learned from previous high-pressure weeks. “I think I felt less pressure this time than the year before, coming off getting my card and making my pro debut. So I felt a bit more relaxed.”

Difficult weather in the build-up, she says, actually worked in her favour ahead of a return to links conditions. “It was good to play in those conditions ahead of this week, and get back into playing links golf. It had been a year since I’d played it, so it was nice to start hitting those flighted shots again.”

Still getting to know Lytham

Despite the occasion, Woad says she’s had limited time on the course itself. “I’m not that familiar with it, if I’m honest. I played it on the way up to Scotland, and that was the first time I’d seen it — and the wind was the opposite of what we’ll probably get this week, so it wasn’t the most helpful look. I’ll be a lot more familiar by the end of it.”

There’s a personal thread to the venue too, passed down from her father. “My dad told me about all the shots Seve played on this course. There’s a lot of history here, and I think that’s what makes it exciting for people to watch us play as well.”

Passing on what she was given

Woad was asked about Lauren Crump, who qualified for this week’s championship and named Woad as one of her inspirations. It’s a comparison she finds slightly surreal given how recently she was in Crump’s position herself. “I tried to qualify once as an amateur and lost in a playoff to get into Walton Heath, which is close to where I live. I was really disappointed at the time. So it’s a brilliant feeling if you do get through.”

She points to England’ Golf’s development pathway- the regional squad, girls’ squad, women’s squad, and eventually a scholarship in the U.S. as the reason talent keeps coming through the women’s game. “I still use a couple of the coaches from the England set-up now. They’re still part of my team.”

With her first Solheim Cup in Europe approaching, Woad says the timing has added an extra layer of excitement to her week at Lytham. “It’s coming up quickly, and having my first one in Europe, with all the fans there. I’ve heard the atmosphere is incredible. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Woad tees off at the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes this week, returning to the championship she once watched from home to try and add her name to its history.

Keep up to date with all the AIG Women’s Open news. Read The Making of Lottie Woad