English amateur Woad starts Augusta title defence strongly

England's Lottie Woad sits two shots behind leader Megha Ganne in second after the opening round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA).

Woad picked up eight birdies in a round of 65 to lay down an strong early marker.

The 21-year-old won the ANWA title last year to kick-start a stellar 2024 - playing in her first majors, finishing as the top Briton at the Women's Open, helping to win the Curtis Cup and ending it as the world's top-ranked amateur.

Ganne's nine-under-par round of 63 set a new ANWA scoring record. The previous low at Champions Retreat Golf Club was a seven-under 65 by Rose Zhang in 2023.

The opening two rounds of the event take place at Champions Retreat, with the tournament moving to Augusta National for the final day.

Scotland's Hannah Darling ended the opening round in a tie for 55th following a three-over-par round, while Englishwoman Patience Rhodes is a shot further back in a tie for 61st.