AUGUSTA, Ga. – The second preliminary round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur took place on Thursday at Champions Retreat Golf Course.
The field has now been reduced to Top-30 individuals who will now move on to the final round which will take place at the iconic Augusta National Golf Course on Saturday. NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. MST. The competitors who did not make the cut will still get the experience of playing the world-renowned course, taking part in an official practice round on Friday.
Two Sun Devils achieved the tremendous accomplishment of qualifying for the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. Junior Olivia Mehaffey (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and senior Sofia Anokhina (Moscow, Russia) each earned a spot in the Top-30, advancing them to the final day of the event. For Anokhina, the honor of playing at the home course of The Masters holds significant impact. On Saturday, she will become the first Russian golfer, male or female, to compete at Augusta National.
Olivia Mehaffey finished the highest of any of the Sun Devils, coming in tied for 11th after shooting a 145 (+1) during the preliminary rounds. Sitting in a five-way tie for 21st after day one, Mehaffey rose to the occasion today. She not only improved her score from yesterday, but completed a terrific front nine, giving her confidence going into the final day. Mehaffey recovered nicely after a few struggles on the back nine, birdying three holes of five holes (three, four, and seven) to help her reach even (72) on the day. She is looking to build off her consistent performance through the first two rounds, getting a crack at Augusta National on Saturday.
Joining Mehaffey in the Top-30 is teammate Sofia Anokhina, although her path was a little more challenging to advance. Eleven competitors, including Anokhina, finished tied for 21st while shooting 147 (+3). In order to get to the final 30, the 11 individuals took part in a tiebreaker playoff. Anokhina did exactly what she needed to do, making par on the first playoff hole (10) to secure her spot. She enjoyed one of the best rounds of the day (70) in order to get into position for a playoff appearance, one of just 12 competitors to finish under par (-2). A big reason for the improvement was her excellent play on the seventh hole, recording one of only two eagles made by the field over the course of the second round. She finished the round strong, bouncing back from a bogey on 17 with a birdie on 18 that sent her to the playoff. Anokhina has not only made history by participating in this inaugural event, she will become the first Russian golfer, male or female, to play at the Augusta National Golf Course.
Speaking of experience at a young age, the incoming duo of Amanda Linner and Linn Grant proved they belong among the 72 top female amateurs in the world. The adjustments made by Grant before the round today clearly paid off, as she matched Mehaffey's score with a 72 of her own to reach even on the day. Overall, Grant found herself in the Top-50 among the World's top female amateurs after the two preliminary rounds. Linner started her day off strong, posting a birdie on the second hole to inch closer to contention. She began to find her swing towards the end of the front nine, playing even over the final three holes. Linner found success in spurts on the back nine, making par on a par-three eleventh hole while putting together back-to-back pars on 14 and 15. She finished her round on a high note, making par on a difficult par-five eighteenth hole.
All five Sun Devils will remain in Georgia to participate in an official practice round taking place at the home of The Masters, Augusta National Golf Course. Keep up with the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur by tuning into NBC Sports, who will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. MST. The broadcast can also be streamed through NBC Sports' digital platforms. For a full listing of tee times and the latest updates on the tournament, visit https://www.anwagolf.com/en_US/index.html.
The field has now been reduced to Top-30 individuals who will now move on to the final round which will take place at the iconic Augusta National Golf Course on Saturday. NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. MST. The competitors who did not make the cut will still get the experience of playing the world-renowned course, taking part in an official practice round on Friday.
Two Sun Devils achieved the tremendous accomplishment of qualifying for the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. Junior Olivia Mehaffey (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and senior Sofia Anokhina (Moscow, Russia) each earned a spot in the Top-30, advancing them to the final day of the event. For Anokhina, the honor of playing at the home course of The Masters holds significant impact. On Saturday, she will become the first Russian golfer, male or female, to compete at Augusta National.
Freshman Alessandra Fanali (Fiuggi, Italy) put forth an excellent showing, barely missing the Top-30 cut by one stroke. Incoming Sun Devils Amanda Linner (Onsala, Sweden) and Linn Grant (Viken, Sweden) give Sun Devil Women's Golf fans even more to look forward to, as the young duo showed outstanding potential during their two rounds at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.A tremendous story by @BrentleyGC on our very own Sofia Anokhina's unlikely journey to Augusta National! She will become the first Russian golfer, male or female, to play at Augusta National when she competes in the final round on Saturday! #ForksUp https://t.co/7V0PY9Nrce
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) April 4, 2019
Olivia Mehaffey finished the highest of any of the Sun Devils, coming in tied for 11th after shooting a 145 (+1) during the preliminary rounds. Sitting in a five-way tie for 21st after day one, Mehaffey rose to the occasion today. She not only improved her score from yesterday, but completed a terrific front nine, giving her confidence going into the final day. Mehaffey recovered nicely after a few struggles on the back nine, birdying three holes of five holes (three, four, and seven) to help her reach even (72) on the day. She is looking to build off her consistent performance through the first two rounds, getting a crack at Augusta National on Saturday.
Joining Mehaffey in the Top-30 is teammate Sofia Anokhina, although her path was a little more challenging to advance. Eleven competitors, including Anokhina, finished tied for 21st while shooting 147 (+3). In order to get to the final 30, the 11 individuals took part in a tiebreaker playoff. Anokhina did exactly what she needed to do, making par on the first playoff hole (10) to secure her spot. She enjoyed one of the best rounds of the day (70) in order to get into position for a playoff appearance, one of just 12 competitors to finish under par (-2). A big reason for the improvement was her excellent play on the seventh hole, recording one of only two eagles made by the field over the course of the second round. She finished the round strong, bouncing back from a bogey on 17 with a birdie on 18 that sent her to the playoff. Anokhina has not only made history by participating in this inaugural event, she will become the first Russian golfer, male or female, to play at the Augusta National Golf Course.
Alessandra Fanali, Amanda Linner, and Linn Grant may have not made the cut, but their accomplishments deserve to be recognized. Fanali played brilliantly yesterday and was in contention for a spot in the Top-30 all day today. She missed an appearance in the playoff by just one stroke, playing her best golf during a bogey-free stretch from holes six to twelve. Fanali will return to Tempe with plenty of experience on a big stage, despite only being a freshman.On Saturday, Sofia Anokhina will be the first Russian to compete at Augusta National Golf Club.#ANWAgolf pic.twitter.com/qXQS2k8yj1
— Augusta National Women's Amateur (@anwagolf) April 4, 2019
Speaking of experience at a young age, the incoming duo of Amanda Linner and Linn Grant proved they belong among the 72 top female amateurs in the world. The adjustments made by Grant before the round today clearly paid off, as she matched Mehaffey's score with a 72 of her own to reach even on the day. Overall, Grant found herself in the Top-50 among the World's top female amateurs after the two preliminary rounds. Linner started her day off strong, posting a birdie on the second hole to inch closer to contention. She began to find her swing towards the end of the front nine, playing even over the final three holes. Linner found success in spurts on the back nine, making par on a par-three eleventh hole while putting together back-to-back pars on 14 and 15. She finished her round on a high note, making par on a difficult par-five eighteenth hole.
All five Sun Devils will remain in Georgia to participate in an official practice round taking place at the home of The Masters, Augusta National Golf Course. Keep up with the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur by tuning into NBC Sports, who will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. MST. The broadcast can also be streamed through NBC Sports' digital platforms. For a full listing of tee times and the latest updates on the tournament, visit https://www.anwagolf.com/en_US/index.html.