Lottie Woad prepares for US Open after LPGA victory
Britain’s top-ranked female golfer Lottie Woad is preparing for this week’s Women’s US Open at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles, following her first professional win in the United States at the Kroger Queen City event in Cincinnati last month. The 22-year-old Englishwoman, now ranked fifth in the world, flew her coach Luke Bone from Surrey to Florida for extra practice instead of competing in last week’s Shoprite LPGA tournament in New Jersey. Woad told BBC Sport that the early work with Bone away from tournament pressure was a “little reset” and that she wanted to be fully acclimatised on the West Coast. Her victory on 17 May came after she noticed a grip issue with her putter, which she had regripped, and she held off South Korea’s Haeran Ryu to win by two shots. Woad will compete in the US Open as a professional for the first time, having posted high finishes in the past three majors as an amateur and professional. She is bidding to keep the Harton S Semple Trophy in European hands after Maja Stark’s victory at Erin Hills last year. Woad described her mood as “relaxed and pretty confident” and noted that Chevron champion Nelly Korda will likely attract the most attention at the event.
What’s reported
Lottie Woad is Britain’s leading female golfer, ranked fifth in the world.
She won the Kroger Queen City event in Cincinnati on 17 May 2026, her first professional win in the US.
She chose to skip last week’s Shoprite LPGA tournament to train with coach Luke Bone in Tallahassee, Florida.
Woad identified a putter grip issue after missing the cut at the Mizuho Americas Open earlier in May.
She beat Haeran Ryu by two shots, with major winners Miyu Yamashita and Ruoning Yin behind her.
This is her first US Open as a professional; she previously finished tied third at the Evian Championship (as amateur), tied eighth at the AIG Women’s Open, and tied seventh at the Chevron.
The US Open is being held at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles.
Woad is trying to keep the trophy in European hands after Maja Stark’s 2025 win at Erin Hills.
Key figures
Lottie Woad – British professional golfer
Luke Bone – Woad’s coach, based in Farnham, Surrey
Haeran Ryu – South Korean golfer, runner-up at Kroger Queen City
Miyu Yamashita – major winner, finished behind Woad
Ruoning Yin – major winner, finished behind Woad
Nelly Korda – world number one and Chevron champion
Lydia Ko – former world number one
Maja Stark – 2025 US Open winner
Charley Hull – other British hope, missed cut in New Jersey
Dame Laura Davies – 1987 US Open winner
Alison Nicholas – 1997 US Open winner
Grace Kim – winner of 2024 Evian Championship
Harton S Semple Trophy – trophy for the Women’s US Open
Sources: BBC News
