EVANS, Ga. — Lottie Woad is a different person than one year ago, but the defending Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion’s game remains the same.
After the first two rounds at Champions Retreat, Woad, the world’s top-ranked amateur, is tied for the lead at nine under par alongside the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Kiara Romero. After a practice round at Augusta National on Friday, the duo will tee off in the final grouping Saturday behind the other 30 players who made the 36-hole cut.
For Woad, who has not finished outside the top three in any event during her junior season at Florida State, Saturday will be about leaning on her experience from last year, when she birdied three of the final four holes to win the championship.
“I can definitely use last year,” she said. “I had the lead and then lost it. If that happens again, then I’d know that I’ve come back from there before, so I guess it’s positive memories.”
What’s more, according to FSU coach Amy Bond, Woad is now armed with a greater self-confidence, the result of spending the past year as the reigning ANWA champion and all the media attention that follows.
A tight race after the second round at Augusta National Women's Amateur. #ANWAgolf pic.twitter.com/w0ZVPEn4u6
— Augusta National Women's Amateur (@anwagolf) April 3, 2025
“The biggest thing for her is her self-confidence,” Bond said. “She’s much better at talking to media, talking to the public, a lot more comfortable in who she is. Her golf game itself is still really good.”
That golf game, highlighted by exquisite ball-striking, was on display in shooting 65-70 at Champions Retreat. In only making two bogeys over the first 36 holes, it was Woad’s ability to save par that demonstrated the work she has done on her wedge play over the past year with her coach Luke Bone.
“Tee to green, she’s really strong,” Bond said. “Her wedge game is elite now. Her short game is one of the best I’ve ever seen, and when she gets that putter going, it’s fun to watch.”
Yet Woad’s level-headed mental approach remains the same as a year ago, and when asked whether she will feel extra pressure sleeping on the lead not one night but two, she again called on previous experience. “It’s definitely different, but I did it last year, so I’ve got that experience.”
Woad is joined atop the leaderboard by University of Oregon sophomore Kiara Romero, who made seven birdies on Thursday in shooting four-under 68. The reigning freshman of the year and World No. 5 is looking to improve on her five runner-up finishes as a Duck this season.
Kiara Romero plays her shot from the 12th tee during Round 2 of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat Golf Course.
Michael Reaves
It was her ability to battle back that she was most proud of on Thursday, after she dropped three shots in two holes on her second nine, only to finish with three straight birdies. That mental fortitude to stay present and not compound mistakes it something Romero says she has improved greatly since last year at this championship, when she shot 71-78 to miss the cut.
“I feel like I have a lot more control over the mental side of it.,” Romero, 19, said. “I knew I’ve been playing really good and bad holes happen, so I wasn’t too worried about it. I feel like I had a lot of fans out there cheering me on to keep the spirits up, so I was really grateful for that.”
Beyond the co-leaders at nine under, numerous top-ranked players lurk, including three players tied at eight under: 18-hole leader Megha Ganne, her Stanford teammate Andrea Revuelta and Spain’s Carla Bernat Escuder.
Ganne, who jumped to the early lead on Wednesday with her championship-record 63, knew of the challenge of following up a low round and was pleased with her performance on Thursday in getting around in one-over 73.
“Handled it really well. Tried to create momentum within holes and grinded it out for what I thought was a pretty good 73,” she said. “I’m really honored to be up with those names. Lottie, she’s World No. 1 for a reason. The rest of the top of the board looks like the rest of our college tournaments, so this really is a premier event.
Asterisk Talley waves on the 18th hole during Round 2 of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat Golf Course.
Michael Reaves
Seven players are within two shots of the lead, setting the stage for shootout at Augusta National, which over the first five years at this championship has yielded a lower scoring average than Champions Retreat. Rounding out the top seven are Stanford star freshman Meja Ortengren and 16-year-old Asterisk Talley, who vaulted up the board with a 66 in the second round.
Those low scores have been the story of the week so far—for the first time in the history of this championship, the cut to the low 30 players and ties fell under par, at one under. The previous low cut was two over, in both 2019 and 2023. Among the day’s biggest movers was Japan’s Ko Kurabayashi, who recovered from her opening-round 78 to shoot a bogey-free 65 to make the cut on the number.
Among the top-ranked players who missed the cut were Maria Jose Marin (No. 6), Soomin Oh (7) and Rachel Heck (24). Bailey Shoemaker, who shot a final-round 66 at Augusta National last year to finish in second place, shot 74-74 and did not qualify for the final round.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
