Atthaya Thitikul is already eligible for the Augusta National Women's Am (WAPA photo)
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur isn’t just a far-away dream anymore. The event is rapidly approaching and the field is filling. Organizers announced Wednesday that NBC Sports has signed on as a broadcast partner, which means the event will feature three hours of live final-round coverage.
The inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the creation of which was announced on the Wednesday before the Masters, will feature a 72-woman field. The first two rounds will be played at nearby Champions Retreat Golf Club on April 3-4, after which the field will be cut to the low 30 players. The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round Friday, April 5. The final round will take place at Augusta National on Saturday, April 6 and will feature the top 30 competitors who made the cut.
In addition to NBC’s final-round coverage (network coverage of a women’s amateur event is, by the way, unheard of), Golf Channel will provide highlights and live reports throughout the event. Coverage is supported by five presenting sponsors: AT&T, Bank of America, IBM, Mercedes-Benz and Rolex.
This level of television coverage further supports the mission of the championship – to grow the game for young females.
“Since the announcement of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April, we have remained determined to organize a competition that will provide a meaningful impact on the development of the women’s game,” Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, said in a release. “While we aim to stage a first-class championship, our motivation goes beyond the scores posted between the ropes. By providing this opportunity and shining a brighter light on this important segment of the sport, we expect role models to emerge who will help inspire a new generation of golfers.”
An Augusta National Women’s Amateur Twitter feed has been launched, and so has a web site (www.anwagolf.com). Ticket information is available there.
The following players have already earned an invitation:
Kristen Gillman (USA), U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion
Leonie Harm (Germany), Ladies’ British Open Amateur Champion
Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand), Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Champion
Yealimi Noh (USA), U.S. Girls’ Junior Champion and Girls Junior PGA Champion
Emma Spitz (Austria), Girls’ British Open Amateur Champion
The next 60 positions will be filled based on the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of the 2018 calendar year:
The top 30 players from the United States of America not otherwise qualified
The next 30 highest ranked players not otherwise qualified
The field’s remaining spots will be filled by special invitation from the ANWA Championship Committee.
ABOUT THE
Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA)
54-hole stroke-play tournament that will include a
72 player international field. The field will include
winners of other recognized tournaments while also
utilizing the Women's World Amateur Golf Rankings.
The first two rounds will be played at
Champions
Retreat Golf Club before the field is cut to the low 30
and ties for the final round at Augusta National.
The tournament will be played the week before
the
Masters, concluding on Saturday.
View Complete Tournament Information