Charley Hull, Lottie Woad and world No. 1 Nelly Korda all endured a testing first day on the links at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, each posting scores above par while the leaderboard was dominated by Jenny Shin and Lauren Coughlin, who shared the top spot after a blistering six‑under‑par 66. Shin and Coughlin both carded 66 in gusty conditions at Dundonald Links on Thursday, putting them a shot ahead of South Korea’s A Lim Kim, who sat at five under, and Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson, who was four under after round one.
Their strong start set the tone for a tournament that quickly turned into a battle against the wind as much as against the field. Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist also enjoyed a solid opening round, finishing two under par. A couple of late bogeys on the final three holes prevented her from joining her compatriot Pettersson at the top of the leaderboard, but her performance demonstrated that she can still compete at the highest level. The wind began to pick up in the afternoon, and many players found the conditions unforgiving.
Hull’s round was a prime example of how the elements can wreak havoc on a scorecard. She finished six over par after a disastrous quadruple‑bogey on the par‑five fifth hole. The trouble started on the very first tee, where Hull was unable to get the ball on the green in regulation. By the time she reached the fifth, she was already struggling to keep the ball out of the rough.
A tentative birdie attempt on the fifth saw her putter catch a slope, sending the ball rolling down a bank and into the thick grass. After three failed chip attempts, Hull finally managed to get the ball back onto the putting surface and holed the resulting putt, but the damage was already done. Two additional bogeys and a solitary birdie later, her round concluded at six over.
Defending champion Lottie Woad also faced a difficult start. She was three over through the first four holes and eventually posted a two‑over‑par 74, which included a double bogey on the third and a bogey on the fourth.
A birdie on the fifth offered a brief respite, but another bogey on the eighth left her front nine at four over par. "The front nine was very difficult.
The wind was pretty strong from the get‑go," Woad explained, noting that she hit eight of the 14 fairways but still struggled to find the pins. "There were a few interesting pin placements on the front nine with the wind, and it was tough to get it close. I didn’t make enough putts to really be under par.
But for me, two over is not disastrous. I’m still going to be in it. A day of not trying to play yourself out of it, really." Her comments highlighted the mental resilience required when conditions turn against you. Nelly Korda, the world’s top‑ranked player, also felt the sting of the wind but managed to finish at even par.
After a modest one‑over front nine, she recovered with a birdie on the par‑five 18th, finishing the round level. Korda’s accuracy off the tee was evident as she found nine of the 14 fairways, and her putting was spectacular. She sank a 70‑foot putt for birdie on the par‑three fourth and left an eagle putt just shy of the cup on the final hole, showcasing why she is considered one of the most complete players on tour. Georgia Hall, who is gearing up for a return to Royal Lytham & St Annes next week for the 2026 AIG Women’s Open— the venue of her 2018 major triumph— endured perhaps the toughest day of all.
She posted a 10‑over‑par 82, highlighted by a quintuple‑bogey on the par‑five 14th that was sandwiched between two additional bogeys. The relentless wind made club selection a guessing game, and Hall’s struggle to keep the ball in the fairways amplified the difficulty.
While Hull, Woad, Korda and Hall wrestled with the elements, Lauren Coughlin, the 2024 champion, turned the day into a showcase of precision and composure. She recorded eight birdies in her round, a performance that could have left her two strokes clear of Shin if not for a few minor hiccups. "I played really solid," Coughlin said after her round. "It was pretty difficult out there.
I’ve never really played it when it’s been this firm, especially off the tee, so quite a few different things off the tee than normal where I used to be able to hit driver a lot of places." Her comments underscored the adaptability required on a course that can change dramatically from one day to the next. The tournament’s first day set the stage for an exciting weekend of golf, with the leaderboard tightly packed and the wind promising to continue shaping scores.
Fans can catch round two live on Sky Sports Golf starting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, and the event also offers streaming options for those without a contract. As the players regroup and adjust their strategies, the question remains: who will master the wind and claim the Scottish Open crown?