A young English golfing star became the first amateur in three years to win a Ladies European Tour title on Sunday but will not receive any of the prize money due to a little-known rule.
The 21-year-old claimed a six-shot victory at the Women´s Irish Open after finishing 21-under par for the tournament.
Lottie Woad, the world No 1 amateur, had entered the final round with a seven-stroke lead and shot a four under 69 to claim the trophy.
However, she has been denied the £58,000 prize money on offer due to her amateur status.
Woad finished six strokes ahead of second-placed Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden with New Zealander Amelia Garvey was third.
And runner-up Sagstrom is the beneficiary of the situation with the money going to her instead.
Lottie Woad claimed a six-shot victory at the Women´s Irish Open after finishing 21-under par
Woad will not be receiving the £58,000 prize money on offer due to her amateur status
Runner-up Madelene Sagstrom will benefit from the situation and receive the money instead
The previous time an amateur won a Ladies European Tour event was in 2022, when Jana Melichova secured victory at the Czech Ladies Open.
Players must hold a tour card in order to pocket winnings and Woad’s lack of one has cost her a significant sum.
Woad has made plenty of headlines as an amateur, having won the 2022 Girls Amateur Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last year.
However, she insists she is not considering turning professional just yet.
‘No, I’m not tempted to turn pro yet,’ she said. ‘I’m still trying to get my final two points for the LPGA. I’m trying to get those and then we will see what happens after that. It means a lot to get the win.
‘Obviously, I had a big lead coming into today, but I still had to really focus as I was being chased by some really good players. I’m happy to get it done. It’s perfect. I feel like I’m playing well, and I hope to continue that into [the] Evian [Championship] next week.
‘It felt pretty comfortable overall. There were a few moments at the start of the back nine that could’ve gone wrong but I hung in there and finished with some nice birdies.’
