The inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur gets underway on Wednesday – but only a third of the tournament will be played on the most famous course in golf.
72 of the best women’s amateur golfers were invited to the first ANWA field. The first two rounds will be played at nearby Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Georgia.
The top 30 players will then move on to a final round on Saturday at Augusta National, which will be broadcast starting at 10:00 a.m. ET on Golf Channel. Coverage will shift to NBC at noon ET. You can follow the leaderboard here.
The winner will receive this amazing trophy, along with a 5-year exemption to the event should they remain an amateur. Winners will also earn entry into the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2019 Women’s British Open, and “any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships for which she is eligible for one year.”
Fortunately, the players outside the cutline will still get the chance to tee it up at Augusta. The entire field will play a practice round on Friday prior to the final round.
Here are the criteria for qualification, via ANWAgolf.com:
- Invitations will be provided to the winners of the following recognized events: U.S. Women’s Amateur, Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship, Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, U.S. Girls’ Junior, Girls’ British Open Amateur Championship, Girls Junior PGA Championship.
- Future champions of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship will also receive an invitation for the following five years.
- The top 30 players from the United States of America will be invited who are not otherwise qualified, based on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of the 2018 calendar year.
- After the previous qualifications, the next 30 highest ranked players not otherwise qualified will receive invitations, as listed on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of the 2018 calendar year.
- Remaining positions will be filled by invitation of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship Committee.
