Augusta National Golf Club is mainly famed for hosting the Masters Tournament every April. Nonetheless, there is another competition to watch out for every week before the Masters – the Augusta National Women’s Amateur championship (ANWA).
Although it only debuted in 2019, with the 2020 event not taking place due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 4th version of ANWA will take place between 29th March and 1st April 2023, and it promises to be the most competitive edition yet.
The previous three tournaments have coincided with the equally important Chevron Championship, forcing top female amateurs to choose which to attend between the two. The Chevron event will subsequently occur in late April, allowing skilled amateurs to participate in both competitions.
About the Event
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur is a 54-hole stroke-play tournament contested by 72 international women amateurs selected through qualification or special invitation.
The first two rounds (36 holes) will occur at the Champions Retreat Golf Club on Wednesday 29th March, and Thursday 30th March. Players will compete on the course’s Island and Bluff nines, where only the 30 top players and ties will advance to the final round.
Come Friday 31st March, the entire field will engage in an official practice round in the iconic Augusta National Golf Club. The final will happen the following day, on Saturday 1st April, at the same venue, consisting of the 30 players and ties who qualified.
After the 54 holes, in case of a tie, a sudden-death playoff will decide the winner. It’s important to note that no tickets are sold at the gate for the final round, as they have sold out in advance through an application process.
The Players
Invitations went out in January 2023 to the 72 female amateurs who qualified or received special invitations to this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur. As of writing, at least 71 players have confirmed attendance.
Fans can expect fireworks in the tournament, considering that the top 45 eligible amateurs in 2022’s final World Amateur Golf Ranking are among those who have accepted invitations.
Notable players to watch out for are world amateur numbers one and two Rose Zhang and Ingrid Lindblad, 2022 and 2021 champions Anna Davis and Tsubasa Kajitani, and other talented golfers such as Amari Avery, Saki Baba, Megha Ganne, Emilia Migliaccio and Erica Shepherd.