April's Crown Jewel: The Augusta National Women’s Amateur Lights Up Golf's Grand Stage
When the calendar flips to April, for most it means Spring is here. For golf fans around the world, April signifies the best (yes, I said it) tournament of the year is here: The Masters. As the top professionals, and amateurs, prepare for next week – there’s an awfully good group that’s taking the ride down Magnolia Lane first.
In 2018, Chairman Fred Ridley announced the inception of a 3-day event for female amateur players: The Augusta National Women’s Amateur (“ANWA”). The tournament begins the Wednesday before Masters week and concludes with just one round that serves as the finale at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday.
For years, Augusta was incredibly private. Virtually no one got to lay eyes on the course grounds unless you were a Patron with a weekly badge, or you were watching Saturday and Sunday coverage of The Masters from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. In more recent times, the doors have crept open for golf fans around the world. First, there was the Drive, Chip and Putt championships for the youth (Sunday before The Masters), and now the ANWA. Their effort is clear. It’s all an extension of Masters week and the events are designed to promote the sport and inspire the youth to play golf.
This week at the ANWA, the first two rounds are played at Champions Retreat – just a short 15 miles away from Augusta National. After the two rounds, there is a cut that reduces the 72 player field down to the final 30 plus ties. On Friday, all 72 players are invited to play a practice round at Augusta National – even those who missed the cut. It’s an incredible opportunity to climb the massive hills, smell the Azaleas and play from the spots you dream about from the years of watching The Masters. On Saturday, the final 30 players will compete for the trophy – on live TV.
One of the truly amazing things about the access that Augusta National has slowly given is that up until 2012, the club’s membership was exclusively male. The club does not disclose the details of their membership census, nor does it share the costs (the wine is very expensive, we hear). However, there are at least seven known female members as of April 2024.
Augusta National has long supported amateurs. The co-founder of the club and The Masters, Bobby Jones, competed as an amateur in the first 12 editions of the tournament. Today, the club continues to prioritize amateurs and provide exposure. Next week at The Masters, the winners of the British Amateur, Asia-Pacific Amateur, Latin American Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur, the NCAA D-1 champion and the winner & runner-up of the U.S. Amateur are invited to tee it up in The Masters.
Back to the women though…
There are some special players to keep an eye on. Ingrid Lindblad, enrolled at LSU, is the world number one amateur. Recently, she won the Clemson Invitational by an astounding 10 strokes. Last year, she missed the 36-hole cut at the 2023 ANWA. However, in her two previous trips, she posted top-3 finishes. There’s a lot of pressure being ranked number one, but she’s primed to show the world why she’s on top of the list.
The others to watch:
- Asterisk Talley – 15 years old, recent winner of the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.
- Amari Avery – With T4 and T29 finishes in her last two starts, she’s more the capable
- Caitlin Macnab – Hailing from South Africa, she has finished 9th and 11th in two trips.
- Latanna Stone – The American has an 8th and 2nd. She’s not being talked about much, but she’s a great pick this week! She’s got experience, plays on the #1 team in the NCAA and can handle the pressure.
Photo Credit: LSU Athletics
