Amanda Balionis drops 4-word reaction to 21-YO amateur Lottie Woad’s dominant KPMG Women’s Irish Open triumph

Lottie Woad created history at this week's KPMG Women's Irish Open. Having won her maiden Ladies European Tour (LET), renowned golf reporter Amanda Balionis congratulated the amateur golfer on the milestone.

Balionis reshared a Ladies European Tour (LET) video showing Woad's winning putt on her Instagram story. She captioned the video:

"Just a freaking stud."

Here's a look at Amanda Balionis' Instagram story:

Amanda Balionis congratulates Lottie Woad on victory (Image via Instagram @balionis)

Lottie Woad defeated some of the world's best professional golfers for the title at the 2025 KPMG Women's Irish Open, including Madelene Sagstrom and LPGA Tour sensation Charley Hull.

The 21-year-old amateur golfer posted a 72-hole score total of an impressive 21-under par 271 at the Carton House. Lottie Woad won by a whopping six-stroke margin over Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom, who totaled 15-under par 277 for the week.

Will Lottie Woad turn professional via LEAP soon?

Lottie Woad aspires to play on the LPGA Tour sometime soon. She aims to earn her membership on the circuit via the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP).

She needs 20 points to earn the LPGA Tour membership. Just two points short of the milestone, the Englishwoman says she is under no pressure to turn professional soon.

Following her victory at the 2025 KPMG Women's Irish Open, Lottie Woad said (via Ladies European Tour):

“No, I’m not tempted to turn pro yet. 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.”

The World No. 1 amateur golfer has five potential opportunities to earn her final two points. Here's a look at the LEAP points criteria (via LPGA Tour):

1. World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR)

3 points - WAGR #1 ranking
2 points - WAGR #2 or #3 ranking
1 point - WAGR #4 or #5 ranking

2. LPGA Tournament Participation

2 points - Top 25 (and ties) at an LPGA Major Championship
2 points - Top 10 (and ties) at an Official LPGA Tournament (non-major)
1 point - Made Cut at an LPGA Major Championship
1 point - Top 40 (and ties) at an Official LPGA Tournament (non-major)

3. Amateur Championships

4. Awards

5. Teams

2 points - Curtis Cup team
1 point - Arnold Palmer Cup team

The young amateur star stunned the golf community with her performance in Ireland this week. She began the final round of the 2025 KPMG Women's Irish Open with a seven-stroke lead and managed to see it through while defeating several seasoned professionals.

About the author

Lathika is one of the newer additions to Sportskeeda’s budding golf journalism team and has brought plenty of in-game experience to the role. Having been a golfer for over 12 years now, some of her crowning achievements include winning titles on the Indian Golf Union Ladies tour and Junior Girls Amateur tour.

She currently competes in Division 1 golf in New York, and hopes to play in the U.S. Open and Chevron Championship one day. She is set to cover the 2025 Ryder Cup as well. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management, and holds a Sports Marketing certification from Northwestern University, which helped her learn to draft press releases and ultimately transition into journalism.

Lathika has thus developed a knowledge base that allows her to view golf from both player, spectator and media lenses, enabling her to bring statistics, insights and an understanding of fan emotion together in her copies. She only uses verified information from reliable sources like the PGA TOUR.

Her favorite golfers are Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, both for their playing style as well as their mental strength. Much of her time away from work is spent playing golf, but she also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and learning new hobbies or upskilling.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar