AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Augusta National Women’s Amateur is not just having a moment. This is the tournament’s reality, only five years into its existence.
Morgan Pressel, the LPGA major champion turned Golf Channel analyst, doesn’t hesitate to call it the most “impactful” event in women’s golf. USC junior Amari Avery even goes as far as to say the tournament feels “bigger than the U.S. Women’s Open,” an event she’s participated in twice and has been held since 1946.
ANWA has been a big deal since its inception, announced by Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley in 2018 — a 54-hole championship with the best female amateurs in the world, two rounds at nearby Champions Retreat Golf Club and the final round at the site of the Masters. Five championships later (2020 was canceled due to the pandemic), it has reached another level.
Since Jennifer Kupcho triumphed over Maria Fassi in a neck-and-neck battle down the stretch at the inaugural playing of the event in 2019, the ANWA has crowned star champions year after year, leading to additional support and coverage. Golf Channel added live broadcasts of the first two tournament rounds at Champions Retreat in 2023. Legendary sportscaster Mike Tirico will commentate Saturday’s final round at Augusta National…
