There Is A New Superstar In Golf, And Her Name Is Lottie Woad

Lottie Woad is a name many golf fans may not have recognized a month ago, but as we approach the end of July, she has proven that she is in a class of her own. And she's not on the verge of stardom, but firmly in it.

Woad is a former No. 1 amateur in the world, but nobody could have expected to see what we've witnessed from the 21-year-old England native over the last few weeks. The timeline of events for Woad is difficult to comprehend.

On July 6, Woad didn't just win the KPMG Women's Irish Open, she dominated the very strong field on the Ladies European Tour and won by six shots while still an amateur.

She remained an amateur for the following week's Evian Championship, a major on the women's circuit, and nearly found the winner's circle again before finishing in a tie for third.

Following a win and a Top 3 finish against the best players in the world, Woad decided to turn professional ahead of this week's Women's Scottish Open.

While she was obviously playing phenomenal golf, turning professional and having that added stress of playing for an actual paycheck adds another layer of expectation and stress to the already stress-filled game.

Actually, not so much for Woad.

The former Florida State standout took a two-shot lead into Sunday's final round of the Scottish Open, and instead of struggling in an entirely new situation, she made things look way too easy with a round of 68 to win her professional debut on the LPGA Tour.

Winning a professional event as an amateur, nearly winning a major as an amateur, making the life-altering decision to turn professional, and then winning your pro debut in a three-week stretch is ridiculously impressive.

Despite the fact that she's been hitting the golf ball better than any other woman on the planet over the last three weeks, what stands out with Woad beyond her golf swing is her demeanor. 

She carries herself with a Scottie Scheffler-like confidence while plotting around a golf course, letting only her game do the talking. Woad looked more relaxed and confident, hitting shots down the stretch in Scotland than she did, holding the trophy and doing a two-minute interview on Golf Channel after her victory.

Next week's Women's British Open will be a different test for Woad, fresh off of a win and with a very large paycheck in her back pocket for the first time in her career, but it's hard to imagine she won't be a huge piece of the story at Royal Porthcawl.