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Charlotte GibsonESPN
It has been three years since Jennifer Kopshaw hit the primary shot on the inaugural Augusta Girls’s Nationwide Beginner version. Three days after the historic capturing on the tee, Kupshaw made historical past as soon as once more. Kupcho rolled right into a 20-foot birdie gap at Augusta Nationwide 18, and gained the opening occasion, beating Maria Fassi. In entrance of 1000’s of spectators, within the week main as much as the 2019 Masters Championship, which was gained by Tiger Woods, Kupshaw and the opposite girls on the sphere, she made historical past as the primary group of ladies to star within the well-known course.
Now, three years later, the third version of the Augusta Girls’s Nationwide Beginner was held with 72 of the most effective girls’s amateurs from 23 nations competing for 54 holes of stroke play. For the primary 36 holes, the course shall be contested by Champions Retreat Golf Membership, after which the highest 30 gamers shall be minimize. Your entire 72-player course will undergo a follow spherical at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on Friday earlier than the highest 30 gamers compete within the closing spherical on Saturday.
If the 2019 and 2023 editions – COVID-19 compelled a postponement of the 2020 occasion – from ANWA are any indication of what to anticipate this week in Augusta, it is anticipating the sudden and never counting any of the ladies till the ultimate blow falls.
Listed here are 5 issues to look at for this week:
Table of Contents
Deacons return demons for one more victory
There are 35 schools represented on this 12 months’s ANWA subject. It might appear that each one eyes are on Stanford, which is main the way in which with 5 present and one future gamers competing this week, together with present world primary Rose Zang and third, Rachel Hick. But when historical past tells us something, it is that we must always take note of Wake Forest. In 2019, former Wake Forest star Kupcho embodied what Demon Deacons can do on a stage as large as Augusta, after profitable the inaugural championship. Two years later, Wake Forest champion Emilia Migliacchio battles 17-year-old Japanese Tsubasa Kajitani in a playoff by sudden demise. Cagitani gained, with Milacchio second.
This 12 months, younger Rachel Cohn, freshman Carolina Lopez Chacara, younger Lauren Walsh and scholar Migliacchio Wake Forest shall be represented.
After receiving her third invitation to ANWA, Miliacchio stated on her Instagram account, “Not solely do I symbolize all the ladies and younger girls who hope to be right here sometime, however I additionally symbolize Wake Forest College, a college that handled me very properly throughout my undergraduate and graduate years.” “.
For Kohn, there isn’t a higher feeling than going to Augusta together with her teammates.
“My crew has grow to be my finest pal,” Cohen instructed ESPN. “We make one another higher gamers and higher folks. We at all times push one another and maintain one another accountable. To have the Augusta expertise collectively is a good alternative, and that is actually what we have been working in the direction of.”
“I hope somebody can win once more this 12 months.”
Preparation begins in Drive, Chip and Putt
The chance to compete on the Augusta Nationwide is one thing most individuals solely dream about, not to mention stay in actuality. However for seven gamers on the sphere this 12 months, together with Stanford commits Mega Gun and Ashley Maine of Arizona, their desires of competing at Augusta Nationwide started a number of years in the past throughout the annual Drive, Chip and Putt competitions held simply earlier than the Masters.
About 80 girls and boys underneath the age of 15, divided into eight divisions, compete in a sequence of competitions, together with Greatest Drives, Closest Chips and Closest Kicks. Not solely are seven former finalists competing this 12 months in ANWA, however three girls who gained their age will play as Nationwide Champions: Savannah Grewal, Alexa Bano and Yana Wilson.
For 17-year-old Pano and two-time Drive Champion Chip and Putt, this shall be her third ANWA look and fifth Augusta Nationwide look. Two years in the past, Bano stated Augusta Nationwide was her “happiest place on earth.”
Remember about Ingrid Lindblad
It is odd that the No. 2 ranked participant on the planet is overshadowed by others, however that appears to be the case for Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad. Competing in ANWA’s second competitors, Lindblad typically finds herself caught between the gossip of Zhang and Stanford’s Heck. However for LSU junior, her resume and rating ought to converse louder than any Cardinal’s discuss. After finishing the T-3 in 2023, LSU’s high spot returns to the Augusta Nationwide with extra titles to its identify. Within the fall 2023 season at LSU, she gained one other faculty championship title within the Jackson T Stevens Cup. Final summer time, the 21-year-old gained the European Girls’s Beginner Championship simply months after profitable the LSU Tiger Golf Traditional and ending second within the SEC Girls’s Championship. Again on the Augusta Nationwide, Lindblad is without doubt one of the most dominant gamers on the sphere and will contend for the title.
younger however nice
Final 12 months, it did not matter that 17-year-old Kagitani was one of many youngest entrants within the subject. It would not matter that Kajitani did not have the collective expertise as runner-up, then-21-year-old Miliacchio. All that issues is how the Twenty sixth-ranked participant performs in three rounds.
This 12 months, 15-year-old Avery Zweig and Jana Wilson made their debut. Though two of the youngest within the subject, each Zweig and Wilson had already carved their names into beginner historical past earlier than they made their option to Augusta. Wilson, who gained over 100 junior championships earlier than the age of 14, represented america on the 2023 Solheim Cup and gained AJGA’s Sean Foley Efficiency Junior Championship.
With over 200 beginner and junior occasion titles to its identify, Zweig gained 4 world beginner golf rankings occasions in 2023, together with the AJGA’s Annika Invitational. And this week, Zweig would not place any expectations on herself as one of many youngest gamers on the sphere or take into consideration the outcomes or the end.
“I’ve at all times performed in opposition to folks a lot older than me, so it isn’t a giant deal,” Zweig stated. “I feel taking part in in a match like this, you count on that everybody on the market completely deserves to be there and has the total potential to win. I feel that is one thing distinctive to play on the high degree of beginner golf tournaments {and professional} golf. I’ll completely get pleasure from myself and benefit from the second and see how will finish.”
The third time is the magic of Elie Salama
Relating to Augusta Nationwide, a fifth-year scholar at Oregon State College Eli Salama is aware of a factor or two. Again on her third look, the 23-year-old is aware of this can seemingly be her final look on the occasion. However she additionally is aware of she is able to make her lasting mark. Though Salama is hesitant about whether or not to proceed her profession or focus her consideration on turning into a bodily therapist, her beginner profession highlights why she may be aggressive onerous this week.
“I feel having a few profession alternatives out there to me provides me an excellent perspective that golf is not the whole lot, and it is an excellent alternative to play at this occasion and all of my group occasions,” she stated. “However I additionally know it is a enjoyable alternative to play and I’ve bodily remedy college too. I feel moving into it, I’ve much less stress as a result of some girls are undoubtedly going to the professionals. I am taking a look at it and would like to go to Q college. However we’ll see what occurs.”
Final summer time, she gained the Oregon Beginner for the third time prior to now 4 years and competed within the U.S. Beginner Girls’s Championship. Through the fall season, she had a Prime 20 recreation in all 4 begins and was a T-6 on the Dick McGuire Invitational.
“Mentally, I’d enter it with out expectations,” Salameh instructed ESPN. “My objective is to make the minimize so I can play that final spherical in Augusta, however I actually need to simply go make reminiscences and have enjoyable. I do know it may be the final time I play in ANWA, so it’s actually particular that I’ve had the chance to play for 3 years” .
