The prospect of playing on golf's hallowed ground can make people do unusual things.
In January Northwestern's Stephanie Lau awaited her invitation to the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur. She believed she had qualified based on her national ranking, but almost everything related to the Masters is tinged with secrecy.
After Lau noticed social-media posts with competitors' jubilant reactions to having received an invitation to the April 3-6 event she thought: Oh, no, where's mine?
So she emailed an official at Augusta National, who assured her that the letter was en route.
Lau then went next-level, asking her mother, Marie, to go to their local post office in Fullerton, Calif., to check.
And then, as if she needed a final bit of proof, Lau had her mom call via FaceTime so she could see the invitation for herself.
"Cool seeing my name on it," Lau said.
But probably not as cool as playing America's premier tournament golf course, the ultra-private enclave where Tiger Woods has roared, Phil Mickelson has leaped and Rory McIlroy has sunk.
Augusta National only began welcoming female members in 2012, so when club Chairman Fred Ridley announced the creation of the Augusta National Women's Amateur last spring, it was hailed as a groundbreaking event.
"Golf's a great game," said Ridley, who has three daughters. "Hopefully it's colorblind (and) blind as to gender."
Lau, a Northwestern senior, qualified after winning the prestigious North and South Women's Amateur and finishing runner-up at the Ladies British Open Amateur.
Her parents got her started in golf at 6 as a fun after-school activity. Her game took off in high school, and last season she made second-team All-Big Ten.
"I couldn't think of a better person to represent Northwestern," said Chad Hanaoka, Lau's boyfriend.
NU football fans know his story. The 5-foot-6 Hanaoka rose from an intern in the football video office to walk-on running back to gaining key yards in wins over Illinois and Iowa. He has to study for medical school exams in April but plans to hit refresh constantly to keep tabs on Lau's scoring.
Lau will have family members and her first golf coach, Tim Mitchell, following her.
During her practice round, she plans to go to the spot well right of the 10th fairway where Bubba Watson hooked a gap wedge onto the green to win the playoff 2012.
"I think he moved the ball 90 degrees," she marveled. "It was amazing and given the timing of it, unreal."
