Inside the Augusta National Women’s Amateur

Words: Mackenzie Puryear

Spring in Augusta, Georgia, is marked by azaleas blooming, warmer temperatures returning, and of course, the iconic Masters Tournament. But since 2019, Augusta National Golf Club has hosted another premier tournament to officially start the spring season, only one week before the Masters: the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Tournament (ANWA).

       
Photo (Left): Par-3 course at August National, Photo (Right): Augusta National signage. All photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

The ANWA is an elite 54-hole tournament where 72 of the world’s best female amateurs take centre stage in Augusta, and it has quickly become globally significant.

“This championship will become an exciting addition to Masters Week, and it furthers our effort to promote the sport and inspire young women to take up the game. Now, just imagine the 40 girls who come here each year for the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals will be able to dream about returning here one day to compete on a much grander stage for another impressive title,” Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley announced the creation of the tournament in 2018 during his annual press conference.

The vision has already come full circle: in 2025, eight players in the field at ANWA were Drive, Chip and Putt finalists. 2022 champion Anna Davis witnessed this full-circle moment after her victory. She reflected on the moment in a 2024 media session at Augusta National: “When I won two years ago, the next day I went to the Drive, Chip and Putt. All the little kids were going crazy. I think it’s cool that I can make an impact on kids that young. I used to be that person. Just being in this position is very special.”

Photo: Anna Davis. Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club.

The inaugural final round drew approximately 1.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched amateur golf telecast, men’s or women’s, in more than a decade. Consistently, the tournament remains one of the most‑viewed women’s golf events each year. Jennifer Kupcho secured the very first ANWA victory and said in a press conference at Augusta National, “For me to hit the first tee shot of the tournament… and then to be able to hit the last putt to win, it’s just amazing.” Kupcho is now a four-time LPGA champion, including a major win in 2022 at the Chevron Championship. Since then, champions such as Anna Davis, Rose Zhang and Lottie Woad have added their names to the event’s growing legacy.

This tournament has two aspects that make it a powerhouse: its field strength and its iconic venue and structure. The field is one of the best in women’s amateur golf. It’s built from champions of the world’s top amateur events and the highest-ranked players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, creating a 50/50 split between U.S. and international competitors. Once the players arrive, they play a practice round and then the first two rounds on Wednesday and Thursday at Champions Retreat in Evans, Georgia. Friday, the whole field plays a practice round at Augusta National before the final round on Saturday for the players who made the cut. The extra day to sit on the lead adds another element of pressure and drama as the players compete for this coveted victory. In a press conference at Augusta National, Kupcho said, “This is the most organised tournament I’ve ever played in. They make sure everything is okay all the time. If you ever need anything, they get it to you in a second.” She said, “The women’s game is really going to come out stronger.”

Photo: Lottie Woad aligning winning putt for birdie. Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club.

Beyond the iconic setting, an ANWA victory is career‑shaping. As long as the champion remains an amateur, she earns a return invitation to the next five ANWAs, exemptions into major championships, including the U.S. Women’s Open, AIG Women’s Open, Chevron Championship and Amundi Evian Championship, plus entry into USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur events for which she qualifies.

It also opens the door to a professional career. The champion receives two LPGA LEAP pathway points. The LPGA’s LEAP program is designed to give elite amateurs a route to the LPGA based on their excellent amateur career. For example, 2024 champion Lottie Woad called her win at ANWA “life-changing” in a pre-tournament media session. Woad earned two LEAP points for her win, and with her other accumulated amateur achievements, she reached the required 20 points and became eligible for full LPGA status. She then made her professional debut with a win at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open.

It is all part of Augusta National’s global expansion of amateur pathways. In recent years, Augusta National has broadened its commitment to amateur golf worldwide, expanding Masters invitations to winners of select international events. Yet, it was the ANWA that was an early adopter of global representation with an evenly split field and qualifications based on global rankings and not only American invitations — a philosophy that has already produced three international players among the six champions to date.

Augusta National is a special place, and the ANWA reflects that. It provides a stage for these up-and-coming stars to showcase their talent, and they are already making history, including Tsubasa Kajitani’s 2021 win at age seventeen, when she became both the first international ANWA champion and the first Japanese winner of any tournament held at Augusta National. Just nine days later, Hideki Matsuyama reigned victorious at the Masters, marking an unprecedented moment in Augusta history: both the ANWA and Masters champions hailed from Japan in the same year. The very next year, Anna Davis became the youngest ANWA champion at only sixteen years old, and she still holds this record.

Yet, among these incredible feats, one of the earliest and most defining images came during the final round of the inaugural championship when Jennifer Kupcho and Maria Fassi were locked in a tight duel for the victory. Despite a migraine, Kupcho made a late-round charge, and while most expected to see icy competitiveness, the spectators saw something completely different: the two competitors encouraging each other. They celebrated each other’s great shots and smiled through the pressure. The image of the two women fist-bumping went viral, becoming a symbol of the ANWA’s spirit.

That is what the tournament is all about, right? Inspiring the next generation of players. Augusta National creates the canvas, selects the best field, but all in all, its goal is to put on global display all that young talent can achieve, and to motivate future players to pursue their dreams at the highest level.

The result? Just women making history.

Photo: Lottie Woad with caddie. Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club.