The Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA) field is out, and lots of the brightest and best amateur stars from Great Britain and Ireland have secured spots.
This spring, the ANWA will see women play competitive golf at Augusta National for only the second time in history.
Launching in 2019, the prestigious women’s tournament was cancelled last year due to COVID-19. But now it’s back and we’re possibly more excited for it than we were the first time.
ANWA GB&I stars
The full field has just been revealed and we are thrilled to see a number of big names from Great Britain and Ireland in there.
This includes England’s Annabell Fuller, Lily May Humphreys, Isable Wardle and Emily Toy, Irish star Julie McCarthy and Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey.
For some, including Lily and Olivia, it will be there second time competing in the ground breaking tournament, and many of the chosen few shared their big news on social media.
Stoke by Nayland member Lily tweeted a photo of her invitation saying: “Super excited to get going and play in the ANWA again”, while multiple Curtis Cup player Olivia simply said “well, this is exciting!”.
Talented competitors
The world’s top-ranked amateur at the time, Jennifer Kupcho made history by winning the inaugural ANWA in a two-player race with Mexico’s Maria Fassi.
Although both stars have now turned professional and won’t be competing at Augusta this year, the competition remains very tough.
The field is bigger than last time too.
Expanded to accommodate players who received invites last spring but didn’t get to compete (and who haven’t yet turned professional), the field has swelled from 72 to 85, all set to do battle over 54 holes.
In fact, all but two of the top 30 on the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking will be there.
This includes world No. 1 amateur Rose Zhang and Texas-based Kaitlyn Papp, who tied for fifth at the 2019 ANWA and got the lowest amateur score at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Our girls will have to keep an eye on the Swedes too, World Number 2 Linn Grant and Number 3 Ingrid Lindblad, will both be looking to secure the trophy.
The future of the game
Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, confirmed in January that the 2021 ANWA will go ahead as scheduled, but with a limited number of fans.
Rounds 1 and 2 will be held March 31 and April 1 at the Champions Retreat Golf Club, while the final round will be held on April 3 at Augusta National Golf Club.
Speaking after the lineup was revealed, Ridley said: “On behalf of the membership at Augusta National, it is my distinct honor and privilege to welcome these talented competitors to the 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.”
“While the wait for the return of this championship has been longer than expected, the excitement generated by the sportsmanship and competitive spirit showcased in the inaugural edition still resonates with us today. We look forward to hosting this elite field this spring and showcasing the future of the women’s game.”
We’re so excited it’s unreal!
Ways of qualifying for the 2021 ANWA
- Reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion
- Reigning Ladies’ British Open Amateur champion
- Reigning Women’s Asia-Pacific Amateur champion
- Reigning Girls’ British Open Amateur champion
- Reigning U.S. Girls’ Junior champion
- Reigning Girls Junior PGA champion
- Past champions of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur within the last five years
- The 30 highest ranked players from the United States of America based on the prior year's (2020) final Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking, not otherwise qualified
- After qualifications 1-8 above, the 30 highest ranked players not otherwise qualified, as listed on the prior year's (2020) final Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking
- Players receiving special invitations of the Augusta National Women's Amateur Committee
- After qualifications 1-10 above, players that accepted invitations to the 2020 Augusta National Women's Amateur, not otherwise qualified
You can view the full list of confirmed players HERE.
