Lottie Woad entered the final stretch of the LPGA Tour’s FM Championship with a statement performance, posting a four‑under‑par 68 in the opening round. The English golfer, who is slated to join Anna Nordqvist’s European contingent for the Solheim Cup in the Netherlands next month, demonstrated why she is considered a rising star on the tour. The FM Championship, held at the challenging TPC Boston course, saw Woad navigate the front nine with remarkable efficiency. She recorded four birdies on those first nine holes, carding a 32, before playing the back nine at even par.
"I felt a lot more comfortable on the front nine," Woad explained after her round. "I was hitting virtually every fairway, which is crucial because the rough here can be pretty unforgiving.
I managed to place my approach shots close to the pins on several holes, and on the par‑5s I was able to get my ball on the green and finish with easy tap‑ins." Her consistency on the front nine kept her within striking distance of the leaders, finishing just four strokes behind Korea’s Sei Young Kim, who opened with a spectacular 64. Kim, who teed off on the tenth hole, compiled six birdies and an eagle on the seventh par‑five, setting a high bar for the field. While Woad’s front‑nine display was flawless, she acknowledged a few missteps on the back side of the course. "A couple of tee shots missed the fairway on the back nine, turning what could have been birdie opportunities into pars," she said.
"I’ll look to tighten up my driving accuracy tomorrow and try to convert those chances into lower scores." Woad’s 68 placed her in an eight‑way tie for fifth place, a solid position for a player who turned professional only last year and has already claimed two LPGA victories. Her performance also underscored the depth of talent on the European Solheim Cup team. Fellow teammate Charley Hull posted a one‑under 71, while world number one Nelly Korda, who will captain the United States side under Angela Stanford’s leadership, carded an even‑par 72.
The tournament also featured a noteworthy moment for European captain Anna Nordqvist. On Wednesday, Nordqvist surprised the golf world by announcing her retirement from competitive play at the end of the week.
She opened her final tour event with a two‑over‑par round, a modest start to what she described as her "swansong" on the professional circuit. In parallel news from the Ladies European Tour, the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, delayed by rain, delivered its own drama. Casandra Alexander burst onto the leaderboard with a historic round of 63, a course record that vaulted her to nine‑under‑par and the top spot. The achievement came after Italy’s Alessandra Fanali set an early benchmark with a 67 at The K Club’s Palmer South Course.
Alexander’s front‑nine performance featured four birdies, and she added five more on the back nine to secure her remarkable score. Trailing Alexander were England’s Lily May Humphreys, the Czech Republic’s Jana Melichova, and the Isle of Man’s Ana Dawson, all tied for second place at five‑under‑par alongside Fanali. Ireland’s own Leona Maguire opened with a 71 (‑1), recording three birdies and two bogeys in a solid debut round. The FM Championship and the Irish Open continue to be broadcast live throughout the week on Sky Sports, with additional streaming options available via NOW without a contract.
Golf enthusiasts can follow the action, track leaderboards, and catch the latest headlines and video highlights from the LPGA Tour as the players vie for top honors and fine‑tune their games ahead of the highly anticipated Solheim Cup. Looking ahead, Woad’s strong start positions her well for the remainder of the FM Championship and adds momentum to her preparation for the Solheim Cup, which kicks off on September 11‑13.
Her ability to hit fairways, place approach shots near the pin, and capitalize on scoring opportunities on the par‑5s suggests she could be a pivotal contributor for Europe when the competition moves to the Netherlands. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if she can maintain her form and possibly climb higher on the leaderboard in the upcoming rounds. Overall, the opening day of the FM Championship highlighted the depth of talent across both the LPGA and LET fields, showcased record‑breaking performances, and set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the tournament as well as the upcoming Solheim Cup showdown.