Lottie Woad's Sweet Victory Leads to Caddie's Royal Tattoo
There's something deeply endearing about the rituals we create on the golf course. The specific ball marker we refuse to change, the lucky headcover, the pre-shot routine that borders on superstition. But I've never encountered anything quite like the arrangement between Lottie Woad and her caddie, David Taylor—a partnership that culminated in one of the most delightfully absurd bets in recent professional golf memory.
A Sweet Tradition Born in Singapore
The story begins, as many great golf tales do, with something completely unrelated to golf itself. Taylor, a veteran LPGA caddie who clearly understands the psychology of his player, stumbled upon a Marks & Spencer shop in Singapore—one of those small outposts of British comfort that dot international cities. There, he found Percy Pigs, the beloved British confectionery that holds a special place in the hearts of anyone who grew up across the pond.
Taylor placed them in the bag with a simple declaration: "These are some birdie sweets."
The system he devised was elegantly straightforward. Every birdie Woad made, they'd each enjoy one candy. It wasn't about creating some sugar-fueled competitive advantage—Woad is quick to point out they're eating perhaps four gummy bears over an entire round. Rather, it was about breaking the monotony of tour life, creating small moments of celebration in a sport that can grind down even the most mentally tough competitors.
"Now, every player is driven by different things, some are financially driven," Taylor explained. "Lottie is in fact driven by sweets."
The Stakes Get Higher
At some point in their partnership, Taylor raised the stakes considerably. The promise: the next time Woad won an event, she would earn the right to choose the design for his next tattoo. It's the kind of bet that sounds like a joke until suddenly it isn't.
At just 22 years old, Woad has been on a remarkable trajectory since turning professional in the middle of last year. Her victory at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati—a final-round 69 that secured her second LPGA title and third professional win overall—meant Taylor's skin was officially on the line.
The timing couldn't have been more poetic. A victory in the Queen City for a player whose good-luck charm was about to become permanently royal.
A Crowned Gummy Bear
Woad didn't rush her decision. As Taylor revealed in an interview with SiriusXM, she waited approximately an hour after clinching her victory before texting him with her choice.
A gummy bear wearing a crown.
I have to say, I love everything about this. The whimsy of it, the way it captures their partnership perfectly, the fact that it will forever commemorate not just a victory but the spirit of how they pursue this game together. This isn't a bland commemorative design or a generic symbol—it's a deeply personal inside joke that Taylor will carry with him permanently.
What This Says About Modern Player-Caddie Relationships
The best player-caddie partnerships transcend mere professional arrangement. They become something closer to a traveling circus act, two people learning each other's rhythms and quirks week after week, course after course. Taylor understood that Woad isn't primarily motivated by prize money—she's motivated by joy, by the small pleasures that make the grind bearable.
That's sophisticated caddieing, honestly. Finding what makes your player tick and building rituals around it.
The Takeaway
Lottie Woad's victory at the Kroger Queen City Championship was significant for her career trajectory—she's rapidly establishing herself as a force on the LPGA Tour. But perhaps more memorable is what happened afterward: a 22-year-old champion exercising her hard-won right to permanently mark her caddie with a crowned gummy bear.
Golf needs more of this. More levity, more creative motivation, more willingness to be silly in pursuit of excellence. Woad and Taylor have found something that works, and now they have the ink to prove it.