Lottie Woad kicked off the final week of competition on the LPGA Tour’s FM Championship with a remarkable performance, posting a four‑under‑par 68 in the opening round. The English professional, who will soon join Anna Nordqvist’s European Solheim Cup squad in the Netherlands, demonstrated why she is considered one of the rising stars of women’s golf. The FM Championship, held at TPC Boston, served as a crucial warm‑up for the Solheim Cup, which is scheduled for September 11‑13 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Woad’s 68 placed her just four strokes behind the tournament leader, South Korea’s Sei Young Kim, who opened with a spectacular 64.
While the leaderboard was dominated by a strong Korean contingent, Woad’s round positioned her in an eight‑way tie for fifth place, a solid showing that underscores her consistency and competitive fire. Woad, who turned professional only last year, already boasts two LPGA Tour victories.
Her experience, however, belies her relative youth. In this round she displayed a textbook front‑nine, carding four birdies to go out in 32 strokes before playing steady pars on the back nine.
“I generally played a bit better on the front nine,” she explained after the round. “I hit pretty much every fairway.
The rough is pretty thick out there, so you need to hit the fairways.” Her precise ball‑striking allowed her to attack the par‑5s, landing on the greens and converting those opportunities into easy tap‑ins. “Hit some pretty close shots on some holes and then did well on the par‑5s getting on greens, so just kind of had tap‑ins on the front nine,” she added. The back nine proved a little less forgiving.
A couple of tee shots missed the fairway, turning what could have been birdie chances into pars. “Just a couple tee shots on the back nine that missed the fairway kind of made them par holes rather than birdie holes, so just try and clean up that tomorrow,” Woad said, indicating her intent to tighten up her driving accuracy in the next round.
Sei Young Kim, who teed off on the tenth hole, delivered a masterclass in scoring, racking up six birdies and an eagle on the seventh par‑5 to finish at 64, six strokes under par. Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita each posted seven‑under totals, while Korea’s Somi Lee carded six‑under, rounding out a top‑four that featured two Koreans, a Dane and a Japanese player.
Woad’s performance was mirrored by several of her Solheim Cup teammates. Charley Hull, another key member of the European side, shot a one‑under 71, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who will lead the United States team under captain Angela Stanford, posted an even‑par 72.
In a poignant moment for the European camp, captain Anna Nordqvist—who announced on Wednesday that she would retire from professional competition after this week—opened her final tour event with a two‑over‑par round, marking the end of an illustrious career. Across the Atlantic, the Ladies European Tour’s KPMG Women’s Irish Open, delayed by rain, provided another showcase of low‑scoring golf.
Casandra Alexander burst onto the scene with a course‑record 63, establishing a nine‑under lead after a flawless front‑nine of four birdies followed by five more on the back. Italy’s Alessandra Fanali had set the early pace with a 67 at The K Club’s Palmer South Course, but Alexander’s performance eclipsed that by four strokes. 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 at five‑under alongside Fanali. Ireland’s own Leona Maguire opened with a 71 (one‑under), a round that featured three birdies and two bogeys, keeping her comfortably in contention.
The FM Championship and the Irish Open will continue to be broadcast throughout the week on Sky Sports, with additional live coverage available on Sky Sports+ from Friday at 2 p.m. Fans can also stream the action without a contract via NOW, ensuring that the excitement of professional women’s golf remains accessible to a broad audience.
Looking ahead, Woad’s solid start at TPC Boston bodes well for her upcoming Solheim Cup responsibilities. The experience of competing in a high‑pressure environment, combined with her demonstrated ability to strike fairways and capitalize on scoring opportunities, suggests she will be a valuable asset for Europe in September.
As the tournament progresses, she aims to fine‑tune her tee‑shot accuracy on the back nine, a small adjustment that could convert pars into birdies and move her up the leaderboard. Overall, the opening round of the FM Championship highlighted the depth of talent on the LPGA Tour and set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the event. With multiple players already under the 70‑stroke mark, the competition remains wide open, and fans can expect a thrilling battle for the title as the field tees off for the remaining rounds. The convergence of the FM Championship and the Solheim Cup preparations adds an extra layer of intrigue, as players like Woad seek to build momentum heading into one of the sport’s most prestigious team events.