The New Master's Womens Amateur Championship

[Hawkeye77]

She makes a good move at the ball.

 

There are a lot of people that criticize ANGC for its history...but they surely seem to be making an effort to grow the game and evolve. Drive, pitch and putt, handing out Mastes invites to world wide amateur event winners and now the Ladies Am - I never thought we’d see Ladies at August.

 

Anybody wanna take a bet that their are a more than a few grumbles from the LPGA players that they haven’t been invited yet? I don’t blame them...I’d be irked.

 

Always thought a Solheim Cup at August would be awesome.

 

Why would LPGA players be "irked" that they havent been invited to a private club to play golf? Its not up to them. Augusta can put on the tournaments that they want to. The only way this Ladies Am works for them is because it's a one-day event that fits in the schedule where the course is being prepped for the Masters.

 

I suspect this Ladies Am will once again stoke those fires that the LPGA "deserves" to play at Augusta, but people continue to forget that Augusta is not open year-round...they're closed pretty much all summer. The members there get to play from October to when they close it up to prep for the masters in March. There's no way they would be able to prep that course for a summer LPGA Tour event like the Solheim Cup.

It is a three day event over four days. Rather odd really. Wednesday Thursday are rounds one and two...Friday is a practice day and then final round is Saturday. The Solheim Cup event is in the fall And AN is open then. I am in no way saying that they should be forced into hosting an LPGA event of any kind but the schedule is not an issue for hosting the Solheim Cup.

 

https://www.anwagolf.com/en_US/schedule.html

 

But - the membership’s desire to enjoy the course and all that goes into prepping for an event and having yahoos running about means little desire to add events.

 

I also don’t understand the fascination with women somehow needing to play there. DC&P an incredible initiative, the women’s am event also dovetails nicely with their schedule at the club. No need for LPGA to be there and I think the reaching out through amateur golf sends a much stronger message to those coming up in the game. Well done and enough done!

[Shilgy]

She makes a good move at the ball.

 

There are a lot of people that criticize ANGC for its history...but they surely seem to be making an effort to grow the game and evolve. Drive, pitch and putt, handing out Mastes invites to world wide amateur event winners and now the Ladies Am - I never thought we’d see Ladies at August.

 

Anybody wanna take a bet that their are a more than a few grumbles from the LPGA players that they haven’t been invited yet? I don’t blame them...I’d be irked.

 

Always thought a Solheim Cup at August would be awesome.

 

Why would LPGA players be "irked" that they havent been invited to a private club to play golf? Its not up to them. Augusta can put on the tournaments that they want to. The only way this Ladies Am works for them is because it's a one-day event that fits in the schedule where the course is being prepped for the Masters.

 

I suspect this Ladies Am will once again stoke those fires that the LPGA "deserves" to play at Augusta, but people continue to forget that Augusta is not open year-round...they're closed pretty much all summer. The members there get to play from October to when they close it up to prep for the masters in March. There's no way they would be able to prep that course for a summer LPGA Tour event like the Solheim Cup.

It is a three day event over four days. Rather odd really. Wednesday Thursday are rounds one and two...Friday is a practice day and then final round is Saturday. The Solheim Cup event is in the fall And AN is open then. I am in no way saying that they should be forced into hosting an LPGA event of any kind but the schedule is not an issue for hosting the Solheim Cup.

 

https://www.anwagolf.com/en_US/schedule.html

 

The first two rounds are not at Augusta.

Thank you, I did not know that.

[Darth Putter]

More information and four legendary honorary starters.

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lopez-sorenstam-ochoa-and-pak-to-help-mark-inaugural-augusta-national-womens-amateur-with-special-first-tee-ceremony

 

Good to see everyone will get at least one round at Augusta National.

[MountainGoat]

Like the drive, chip and putt contest, this event will do more to grow the game than anything the USGA has ever done.

 

[18majors]

Beth Ann Nichol, a famed Golfweek reporter, who's covered ANA Inspiration for the last 15 years has decided to skip ANA and covers ANWA Championship instead.

"I have covered the past 15 ANAs, but for all the girls like Shepherd who dreamed of one day competing at Augusta, and for those who couldn’t bring themselves to even think it, the choice was clear: Go watch history be made."

https://golfweek.com/2019/03/31/nichols-anwa-ana-history-being-made/

 

 

[Holy Moses]

Lucy Li pulled out. Said she had a thumb sprain. Not sure if that's the real reason or if the controversy over her amateur status is.

 

Do the ladies get to have a practice round at Augusta before the tournament?

[18majors]

> @"Holy Moses" said:

> Lucy Li pulled out. Said she had a thumb sprain. Not sure if that's the real reason or if the controversy over her amateur status is.

>

> Do the ladies get to have a practice round at Augusta before the tournament?

All ladies will practice at Augusta National on Friday April 5; top 30 and tied will play final round at AN on Saturday.

The first two rounds with all 72 contenders are at Champions Retreat Course.

 

[Shilgy]

> @18majors said:

> > @"Holy Moses" said:

> > Lucy Li pulled out. Said she had a thumb sprain. Not sure if that's the real reason or if the controversy over her amateur status is.

> >

> > Do the ladies get to have a practice round at Augusta before the tournament?

> All ladies will practice at Augusta National on Friday April 5; top 30 and tied will play final round at AN on Saturday.

> The first two rounds with all 72 contenders are at Champions Retreat Course.

>

 

Do you think ALL ladies will play the practice round or just those that made the cut?

 

I'm guessing the latter.

[MountainGoat]

Anybody want to take a guess at the best Saturday score? I'm thinking 76. I'm not trying to be snarky. I'm just wondering how well a scratch amateur will play that course in tournament shape the second time they see it. If it's everything everyone says it is, then there are secrets to be learned that you'll never pick up on your first or second try. Also, 8, 13, and 15 will be legitimate three-shot par-5s. I have to think that the girls will play the course a lot closer to the way it was designed than the men currently do.

 

[18majors]

> @Shilgy said:

> > @18majors said:

> > > @"Holy Moses" said:

> > > Lucy Li pulled out. Said she had a thumb sprain. Not sure if that's the real reason or if the controversy over her amateur status is.

> > >

> > > Do the ladies get to have a practice round at Augusta before the tournament?

> > All ladies will practice at Augusta National on Friday April 5; top 30 and tied will play final round at AN on Saturday.

> > The first two rounds with all 72 contenders are at Champions Retreat Course.

> >

>

> Do you think ALL ladies will play the practice round or just those that made the cut?

>

> I'm guessing the latter.

 

I read that all 72 will practice at AN on Friday.

[Seamus_McDuff]

> @MountainGoat said:

> Anybody want to take a guess at the best Saturday score? I'm thinking 76.

>

 

I’ll take the under.

 

[aliikane]

I dont' get why Augusta National didn't host an LPGA event there before the Ladies Amateur. It would be one of if not the highest rated LPGA event if they had a LPGA Masters. It would be such a good event to watch the best women in the world compete at Augusta. Perhaps, Augusta national is using the Ladies Amateur as a tester event to see how it will go before embarking on a full scale LPGA event.

[BiggErn]

> @MountainGoat said:

> Anybody want to take a guess at the best Saturday score? I'm thinking 76. I'm not trying to be snarky. I'm just wondering how well a scratch amateur will play that course in tournament shape the second time they see it. If it's everything everyone says it is, then there are secrets to be learned that you'll never pick up on your first or second try. Also, 8, 13, and 15 will be legitimate three-shot par-5s. I have to think that the girls will play the course a lot closer to the way it was designed than the men currently do.

>

 

I think a lot depends on how much they shorten it up and how easy they place the pins. Regardless I think 76 is probably gonna be about the best but wouldn’t be surprised if none broke 80.

[JaNelson38]

> @aliikane said:

> I dont' get why Augusta National didn't host an LPGA event there before the Ladies Amateur. It would be one of if not the highest rated LPGA event if they had a LPGA Masters. It would be such a good event to watch the best women in the world compete at Augusta. Perhaps, Augusta national is using the Ladies Amateur as a tester event to see how it will go before embarking on a full scale LPGA event.

 

Because they dont have time. They spend a better part of a month prepping the course for the Masters. They're closed all summer. As it stands right now, the members there only get to play about 6 months out of the year.

 

Gotta remember that this Ladies Am event is just a one-day event at Augusta, just like the D/C/P. Its a lot easier for the grounds crew to maintain the course for the Masters itself with 30 or so players playing one round, as opposed to a 4-day LPGA event with many more players. The folks at Augusta National set their schedule to revolve around the Masters - if the D/C/P or this Ladies Am event in any way affected how the course would look/play for the Masters itself, they wouldnt hold those events there.

[North Texas]

I would be shocked if Augusta was set up in a way that embarrassed these girls.

 

Here's an article showing the yardages for the member's tees which may or may not be what they will play. Total yardage is 6365. The 4 par 5's are 515, 480, 455, and 475, only 3 of the par 4's are 400 or longer, and the longest par 3 is 170.

 

https://golfweek.com/2019/04/01/golf-womens-amateur-augusta-preview/

 

 

[ThinkingPlus]

If the ladies don't shoot lower scores than a 76 it will be because of the green complexes not the length of the course. They play courses in the mid 6000s and shoot under par (the best of the day) often enough during the year. However, they rarely encounter green complexes remotely like ANGC. If you don't play stuff like that you won't develop the specialty shots and putting touch needed to play them well. I still think even par is a better number than 76, but we will see.

[Sixcat]

I will be there Saturday with my 11 year old daughter. She's is so excited she's having trouble getting to sleep at night. Although, she isn't too happy about having to go a day without her cell phone. ;)

[Tasals]

> @ThinkingPlus said:

> If the ladies don't shoot lower scores than a 76 it will be because of the green complexes not the length of the course. They play courses in the mid 6000s and shoot under par (the best of the day) often enough during the year. However, they rarely encounter green complexes remotely like ANGC. If you don't play stuff like that you won't develop the specialty shots and putting touch needed to play them well. I still think even par is a better number than 76, but we will see.

 

Yeah, thats my thought on the potential score as well. Depending on how the greens are could vastly skew the scores. If they get a bit firm and are in shape for The Masters conditions, I feel like it could seriously punish some of the shorter hitting ladies. Approach shots into the greens could be absolutely brutal, when guys who have played the course for years know the small square of green that you need to land it on to absorb a bounce and take the correct slope and still make errors and get punished, it could get away from a lot of players who have only played the course in one practice round.

[MountainGoat]

I just think it will be really interesting to see skilled players (but not experts) navigate the course. The yardage won't get them. It'll be the elevation changes, local topography and green complexes that will run up the scores. How many of these girls are masters of the low draw off the tee and high fade into the green, particularly off of undulating terrain? At least three of the par-5s will be legitimate three shot holes, and a couple of the par-3s are brutes. I've got my popcorn ready.

 

[munichop]

I think the scores will be similar to US Am scores. Especially if ANGC follows the 6 easy, 6 medium, 6 difficult hole locations. Scores will be lower if there is no wind, higher if gusty winds, just like the men. With no rough the women will be able to hit better recovery shots and if they can keep the ball below the hole they will be fine. Remember most of these competitors are ams in name only. They have devoted an exceptional amount of time to the game.

[CaymanS]

No question this has my attention and I look forward to watching. Hopefully it will be presented well. Cameras will already be positioned for The Masters, so the course should be ready to go. I attended a Women's U.S. Amateur once and there was almost a total lack of spectators, only family and friends it seemed. So the media attention has to be a boost to women's amateur golf. Although it can be viewed as AGNC just dipping their toes in the water to appease their critics, I think it is nice gesture.

[CCTxGolf]

Lol. Host an LPGA tournament.

[MelloYello]

ANGC is an elite, private country club and for that reason it's pretty unremarkable. While the club itself embraced the elitist, racist policies out of the time from which it came, it's a pretty harmless entity these days that stays relevant because the Pro's stop there once a year.

 

The history that professionals have made there isn't really there's to claim IMHO. That (along with the work of Jones and Roberts) essentially belongs to the world and to golf fans. If ANGC want to put their name behind events like DC&P and the ANWA then great. More power to them. Like the other 99% of the golfing world, I have no reason to watch those.

 

My guess is that nobody who's not at least indirectly involved really cares about either. So if they do something good for the game, then great. But who really knows?

 

Would I care if this were an LPGA event? Yeah, definitely. I watch most of the LPGA events and it'd probably be cool to see them on the course. That said, I don't feel that ANGC "owes it" to the women nor do I feel that the LPGA should press for a tourney there. Without the history that the men have there from the 30s unil present day, what would be the point?

 

[Darth Putter]

As far as the course setup on Saturday is concerned, I think the pin positions on the second nine will be pretty similar to the pins on Masters Sunday. I don't think they will use some pins like left on #3 or the back right on #6 that's hard for PGA pros to hit.

[Phreddy]

I believe one of the young ladies shot a 69 during a practice round earlier this week. I hope players get credit for being good as opposed to the inevitable "well, they dumbed down the course to a pitch and putt."

[18majors]

> @Phreddy said:

> I believe one of the young ladies shot a 69 during a practice round earlier this week. I hope players get credit for being good as opposed to the inevitable "well, they dumbed down the course to a pitch and putt."

 

Are you sure she shot 69 at Augusta National? They aren't supposed to be at ANGC until Friday April 5.

They'll play first two rounds at Champions Retreat; first nine on Arnold Palmer's Island course and second nine on Jack Nicklaus' Bluff course.

 

 

[4waymiss]

> @"Seamus McDuff" said:

> > @MountainGoat said:

> > Anybody want to take a guess at the best Saturday score? I'm thinking 76.

> >

>

> I’ll take the under.

>

 

+1 , someone will shoot par or better.

[North Texas]

> @18majors said:

> > @Phreddy said:

> > I believe one of the young ladies shot a 69 during a practice round earlier this week. I hope players get credit for being good as opposed to the inevitable "well, they dumbed down the course to a pitch and putt."

>

> Are you sure she shot 69 at Augusta National? They aren't supposed to be at ANGC until Friday April 5.

> They'll play first two rounds at Champions Retreat; first nine on Arnold Palmer's Island course and second nine on Jack Nicklaus' Bluff course.

>

>

 

The article I linked to in an above post says one girl had 7 birdies in a practice round and another shot 66. Makes it sound like they played earlier this year.

[Phreddy]

> @18majors said:

> > @Phreddy said:

> > I believe one of the young ladies shot a 69 during a practice round earlier this week. I hope players get credit for being good as opposed to the inevitable "well, they dumbed down the course to a pitch and putt."

>

> Are you sure she shot 69 at Augusta National? They aren't supposed to be at ANGC until Friday April 5.

> They'll play first two rounds at Champions Retreat; first nine on Arnold Palmer's Island course and second nine on Jack Nicklaus' Bluff course.

>

>

 

Am I sure? Not bet the ranch positive, but I was listening to an interview with Ben Crenshaw and he was surprised/impressed at the scores he had heard from "practice rounds" at Augusta. He was the one who called out the 3 under round of 69. There is an article on Golfweek saying that some of the college girls were able to play in January. The lowest round was a 66. I have no idea what the set up/agronomy would be like in January vs April.

[18majors]

> @Phreddy said:

> > @18majors said:

> > > @Phreddy said:

> > > I believe one of the young ladies shot a 69 during a practice round earlier this week. I hope players get credit for being good as opposed to the inevitable "well, they dumbed down the course to a pitch and putt."

> >

> > Are you sure she shot 69 at Augusta National? They aren't supposed to be at ANGC until Friday April 5.

> > They'll play first two rounds at Champions Retreat; first nine on Arnold Palmer's Island course and second nine on Jack Nicklaus' Bluff course.

> >

> >

>

> Am I sure? Not bet the ranch positive, but I was listening to an interview with Ben Crenshaw and he was surprised/impressed at the scores he had heard from "practice rounds" at Augusta. He was the one who called out the 3 under round of 69.

 

Those scores most likely are from earlier in the year.