It was as she stood on the 12th tee at Augusta National that Lottie Woad experienced one of those 'pinch me' moments.
The British amateur hailing from Farnham in Surrey, was just seven holes away from clinching a significant victory that could have jumpstarted his remarkable performance in 2024.
It was a year that began with her being the first European to achieve the The Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA) championship title At the venue of the Masters - a championship she aims to be the first to retain this week as the two-and-a-half-day event kicks off on Wednesday.
It was a year when she competed in her initial major tournaments, secured the position of top British player at the Women's Open, contributed to victory in the Curtis Cup, and concluded the year as the globally recognized number-one ranked female amateur.
The past year was undoubtedly a significant milestone," states the 21-year-old to DIwida.Blog & NewsSport. "Securing victory at Augusta stood out as the peak moment, setting the stage for everything else this year.
'I am competing on hole number twelve at Augusta'
It happened during the latter part of the game at Augusta – where numerous Masters aspirations have taken flight and faltered – that Wood demonstrated remarkable composure.
The 12th stood out as one of the crucial holes where she needed to compose herself to face one of the toughest par-threes in golf.
Many scores have been spoiled on this beautiful hole. In 2020, following his victory with his fifth Green Jacket, Tiger Woods ended up hitting three balls into Rae's Creek, which guards the front of the green, leading him to score a 10.
She says, 'As you stand at the tee, you think, This is hole 12,'.
You feel anxious yet you also think, 'I’m teeing off at the 12th hole at Augusta,' which makes it somewhat easier to handle.
Woad, who entered the final round of the 54-hole tournament – where the initial 36 holes were contested at the nearby Champions Retreat Golf Club – recorded a three on her scorecard to maintain a total of six under par.
However, moving forward, American Bailey Shoemaker was concluding the first bogey-free round at Augusta during the five-year tenure of the ANWA. This remarkable 66-stroke performance established a benchmark of seven under par.
A bogey on the par-five 13th put Woad two strokes back, yet she delivered an extraordinary conclusion with three birdies in her last four holes to claim victory at the end of the game.
The shot on the 18th green was an 18-foot putt, going downhill.
She mentions that it didn’t have a lot of brake, but it was quite fast.
Once it went in, I secured my victory at Augusta and everybody got really excited.
'I discovered ways to practice more efficiently'
Woad's season was about to become even wilder. This win paved the way for them to compete against the top players, with their next challenge being the Chevron Championship two weeks down the line.
She had a busy week juggling her social life and academic responsibilities at Florida State University, where she's in her second-to-last year studying sports management, prior to traveling to Texas.
She mentions that her parents and coaches were in Augusta and wished to return home, leaving her alone for her first major event.
I needed a local caddy, however, I felt very confident from my experience at Augusta, managed to make the cut, and stayed competitive.
Woad completed the event in 23rd place, together with England's Georgia Hall and Charley Hull, who are two of her "favorite players" and whom she has always admired since focusing on golf around the age of 13.
At the age of seven, she began her initial training sessions under Coach Luke Bone at Farnham Pro, a position he still holds as her mentor today.
Advancement to the England Girls team came next for her at the age of 15. Although maybe not considered the most innately talented golfer, Woad’s dedication stood out as she utilized opportunities and tools that had been inaccessible before.
She mentions having a putting coach, a strength and conditioning coach, and a psychologist.
I've always been quite skilled at playing the long game, however, I needed to put in much more effort into improving my short game and figured out better ways to practice.
In 2022, she secured victory in the renowned Girls Amateur Championship held at Carnoustie, exactly ten years following Hall’s success in the same competition.
'Awesome week at my debut Women's Open'
Woad returned to Scotland for last year's Women's Open, which took place at the Old Course in St Andrews.
Although she failed to qualify for the US Women's Open and the Evian Championship cuts, she came into the tournament in high spirits, ready to tackle her fourth major championship in Fife.
Woad would be in contention all week and finish joint 10th to win the Smyth Salver as the highest-placed amateur, with another highlight being a 60-yard chip-in eagle two on the par-four last in round three.
“That put me back in the top 10 heading into the last day. It was an incredibly exciting moment with the stands packed with enthusiastic supporters,” she explains.
At the award ceremony, I'll have the chance to stand beside the champion, Lydia Ko. Witnessing her lifting the trophy serves as great motivation.
The entire week was flawless. As the home of golf, hosting the first Open – it surpassed all my expectations.
However, there wasn’t much time for celebration as the Curtis Cup was up next. This tournament features the best women amateur players from Great Britain and Ireland competing against those from America.
After dominating wins in the last three installments of the biennial event, the American team was favored to secure their fourth consecutive championship.
However, GB&I gained confidence from having Europe’s winning Solheim Cup captain, Catriona Matthew, at their helm.
And Woad, who grew up 40 minutes from the Sunningdale Old Course that hosted the event, contributed 2½ points in a nerve-shredding 10½-9½ triumph.
By that point, Woad had ascended to top of the amateur rankings, which earned her the Mark H McCormack medal. Ko won the prize three successive times from its inception in 2011, while Ireland's Leona Maguire and rising US star Rose Zhang are also three-time recipients.
So what does 2025 hold for Woad?
The 'P' word is unavoidable, even if Woad will "only be making that decision when I get to it".
Turning professional would appear to be the next logical step and Woad is on an LPGA pathway that could help accelerate that process.
She mentions that one can obtain an LPGA card upon accumulating 20 points, adding that she presently has 16 points." She continues, "My aim for this year is to secure those additional 4 points so that we will face a decision thereafter.
Should you score a hole-in-one, you receive one point. For achieving a top-25 ranking, you also earn a point. Winning at Augusta or securing victory during the NCAA Championships will award you with two points each.
I'm attempting to not dwell on it excessively. However, if I perform well, I'll earn those points.
The NCAA championships represent the peak of college golf in the U.S., where both teams and individual players compete fiercely. Last year, Woad came in second place individually, while her university’s team tied for ninth.
This season, Woad has achieved an impressive streak of eight successive top-three placements starting from September. However, her teammate at Florida State, 19-year-old Malaysian Mirabel Ting, has outdone her by securing victories in six competitions since last year’s AWNA event, placing her at the top of the NCAA individual standings.
Jasmine Koo is also competing in a field that includes 49 out of the top 50 players globally. In the last twelve months, the second-ranked player has secured four victories and achieved seven top-five placements.
Asterisk Talley, who is only 16 years old, is expected to play a significant role once more. Last year, she tied for eighth place and later defeated Woad in the singles during the Curtis Cup, highlighting her impressive performance throughout 2024.
Nevertheless, Woad enters the week with confidence, remembering her previous victory at Augusta National, and she will once more have England’s women's coach Steve Robinson caddying for her.
She mentions, 'It’s going to be great having that sense of familiarity.' She expresses her excitement saying, ‘I’m really looking forward to it. It’s shaping up to be a fun week, and ideally, I’ll be able to successfully defend my championship.'