Women's Golf

Twelve ACC Golfers To Compete in Augusta National Women's Amateur

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) - Twelve golfers from the Atlantic Coast Conference will compete in the first-ever Augusta National Women's Amateur, April 3-6. The tournament's final round will be held at the iconic Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters, and one of the most revered courses in the world.  

Duke leads all ACC schools with four current players and one future Blue Devil in the field.  Florida State and Wake Forest are both represented with two players, while Clemson, Louisville and Virginia each have one.  Wake Forest's Jennifer Kupcho enters the tournament as the top ranked amateur in the world.  
  • Clemson - Alice Hewson (England) - Senior    
  • Duke - Ana Belac (Slovenia) – Junior; Jaravee Boonchant (Thailand) – Sophomore; Virginia Elena Carta (Italy) – Senior; Gina Kim – Freshman; Erica Shepherd - 2019 commit
  • Florida State - Amanda Doherty – Junior; Beatrice Wallin (Sweden) - Freshman
  • Louisville - Lauren Hartlage - Junior
  • Virginia - Anna Redding - Senior
  • Wake Forest - Jennifer Kupcho – Senior; Emilia Migliaccio - Sophomore
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur was announced on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, by Chairman Fred Ridley during his annual press conference at the Masters Tournament. The event was established to inspire greater interest and participation in the women’s game by creating a new, exciting and rewarding pathway for these players to fulfill their dreams.

Format
An international field of 72 women amateurs will compete over 54 holes of stroke play. A cut will take place after 36 holes, advancing the leading 30 players to the final round at Augusta National Golf Club. In the event of a tie after 54 holes, the winner will be decided by sudden-death playoff.

Schedule
The first 36 holes will be contested over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., April 3-4, 2019. 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.

Qualifications For Invitation
  • Invitations will be provided to the winners of the following recognized events: U.S. Women’s Amateur, Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship, Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, U.S. Girls’ Junior, Girls’ British Open Amateur Championship, Girls Junior PGA Championship.
  • Future champions of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship will also receive an invitation for the following five years.
  • The top 30 players from the United States of America will be invited who are not otherwise qualified, based on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of the 2018 calendar year.
  • After the previous qualifications, the next 30 highest ranked players not otherwise qualified will receive invitations, as listed on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of the 2018 calendar year.
  • Remaining positions will be filled by invitation of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship Committee.
Note: All players who qualify must retain their amateur status to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

For The Winner
Provided she remain an amateur, the 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Champion will receive an invitation to the next five Augusta National Women’s Amateurs, the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2019 Women’s British Open, and any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships for which she is eligible for one year.

Television Broadcast
NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National from Noon – 3 p.m. EDT on April 6, 2019. NBC Sports will also provide pre-event promotion across NBCUniversal’s portfolio, while Golf Channel will deliver highlights, live reports and news coverage throughout the event, including onsite during the first two competitive rounds at Champions Retreat. Additionally, Golf Channel’s “Live From the Masters” will commence on Friday, April 5 from Augusta National and wrap ANWA coverage on Saturday, April 6 and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on Sunday, April 7.

Presenting Partners
The event is supported by five presenting partners: AT&T, Bank of America, IBM, Mercedes-Benz and Rolex.