The organizers of this Women’s Open might have actually felt relieved when Lottie Woad didn’t surge to the top of the leaderboard as the day wore on. While Woad’s name is on everyone’s lips, viewers won’t see much of her during Friday’s coverage.
This highlights a growing issue with the tournament’s TV coverage. With daily broadcasts starting at noon, fans will miss most of Woad’s second round—along with Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko—unless they’re at Royal Porthcawl in person. It’s becoming a familiar complaint; Leona Maguire recently pointed out that her hole-in-one at the Evian Championship wasn’t even caught on camera. Woad tees off at 8:09 a.m. on Friday, playing alongside Ko, with Korda two groups behind.
Sky Sports, which broadcasts the Women’s Open in the UK, has a partnership with the R&A and won’t criticize the scheduling. However, insiders say they’d like extended coverage starting next year. For that to happen, the R&A would need to invest more in European Tour Productions, which provides the global TV feed. While the R&A has increased the 2025 prize fund by $250,000 and improved player facilities, the broadcast hours still lag behind the men’s Open, which began at 6:30 a.m. at Royal Portrush.
Woad finished Thursday with a steady even-par 72, highlighted by a birdie putt from off the green at the 6th. Another birdie on the 18th left her five shots off the lead. “It was an up-and-down round,” she said. “It could have gotten away from me, so I’m happy with how I hung in there.”
Meanwhile, Mimi Rhodes, who has three wins on this year’s Ladies European Tour, shot a 69 but remains overshadowed by the Woad hype. Defending champion Ko struggled to a one-over 73, while Korda impressed with a 70.
Japan’s Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama share the lead at five under, with Miyu Yamashita one shot back. Georgia Hall sits at one under, with her fiancé, former golfer Paul Dunne, caddying for her. When asked if Dunne might return to competitive golf, Hall said, “That’s up to him. Right now, he’s supporting me, and I’m grateful—he’s a great player who doesn’t give himself enough credit.”
