What connects the former World No. 1 amateur Lottie Woad to the World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler? There are two things: firstly, her laser-focused personality. Just like Scheffler, Woad would rather be on the course than in front of the cameras. Give her a club and a ball, and she’s in her element – dissecting every shot, every putt, every nuance of the game. Interviews? Not so much. The second thing? Well, her long-time association with her childhood coach, just like Scheffler has with his own, Randy Smith.

Scottie Scheffler first met his coach of over two decades, Smith, at Royal Oaks, where Scheffler’s father, Scott Scheffler, told Smith, “I said, ’Sir, I’m not pushing this kid. This kid is pushing me. He wants to hit golf balls. I need someone to help me.'” And thus, a relationship that saw 90 junior titles, three All-American seasons at Texas, two Masters green jackets, one Olympic gold medal, and one PGA Championship win.

Much the same way it’s going in Lottie Woad’s case. In 2024, whilst talking about her childhood coach, Steve Robinson, Woad gushed, “There are pictures of me when I was like three or four playing, kind of just hitting it around, but I had my first golf lesson when I was seven with the coach I’m still with today.” Robinson, according to Woad, is the National Women’s Coach and has “helped me a lot through the last few years.” 

Just like in Scheffler’s case, Woad has seen success with Robinson. Aside from her 2025 Irish Open win and first professional win at the 2025 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, Woad also finished 2nd at the 2024 NCAA D1 Women’s Championship (USA) and 3rd at the 2024 NCAA D1 Las Vegas Regional. Oh, and she also helped England win the 2024 Home Internationals and GB&I win the 2024 Curtis Cup at Sunningdale.

So, Scheffler’s idea of sticking to your childhood coach makes immense sense, especially if you look at their portfolio. Or, in Lottie Woad’s case, her stellar professional debut at the 2025 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open.

Lottie Woad is “feeling good” about her pro debut, and why shouldn’t she?

Before heading to her final round in the 2025 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, Lottie Woad confessed she was “feeling good” after taking a two-stroke lead, even ahead of Nelly Korda. The 21-year-old former world number one amateur from Surrey showcased her talent with a stellar third-round performance, carding a five-under-par 67 at Dundonald Links.

Having recently turned professional after narrowly missing out on a significant payday at the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship, Woad is channeling her past experiences to navigate the pressures of competition. “There’s always nerves,” she acknowledges, but she remains optimistic that her previous successes, including winning the 2025 Irish Open as an amateur, will serve her well.

“I am excited for the opportunity and I’ve got the experience from leading in Ireland and other events that I’ve been in,” she said. “I’m just going to try and use that – I’m feeling good.” This confidence is crucial as she joined the ranks of players who have triumphed in their professional debuts, a feat last accomplished by Singapore’s Shannon Tan at the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open. Woad is officially a part of history, and that means the attention is going to stick with her for a while. A long while.

On her newfound status, Woad said, “There was a lot of attention kind of leading up, so this feels a bit more free now that I’ve got my [LPGA] card.” Her self-assuredness shines through as she recognizes the hard work that has brought her to this moment. “I don’t think you can ever expect to be leading, but I knew my game was good and I was playing well the last month or so. I definitely hoped to be contending. I’m where I wanted to be.” 

So, keep looking at Scheffler’s and Woad’s internal teams and their scores — and you’d see many more similarities.