CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini junior Tristyn Nowlin is taking on the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA) this week in Evans, Ga. and Augusta, Ga. The inaugural event will open play on Wednesday morning at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Ga. The final round of the tournament will be played on Saturday morning at Augusta National, where the prominent Masters Tournament takes place.
"This is the biggest tournament of my life," said Nowlin. "After surgery (in February), I am really excited to get back out there and see where I stand."
Nowlin is scheduled to tee off at 8:12 a.m. CT/9:12 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning in a group that will include Kent State's Michaela Finn and future Stanford golfer, Lei Ye.
Nowlin qualified for the ANWA event by being ranked as one of the top 30 players in the United States with a 2018 World Amateur Final Golf Ranking of No. 78.
"We couldn't be prouder of Tristyn (Nowlin)," said head coach Renee Slone. "Obviously, it is an elite group of competitors in this field. This is an amazing opportunity to showcase women's amateur golf and an experience that Tristyn and her family will remember for the rest of their lives."
The international field will compete over 54 holes of stroke play. A cut will take place after 36 holes, advancing the top 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.
"I am treating this as a regular tournament," noted Nowlin. "Over Spring Break, I was able to play a couple of practice rounds at the Champions Retreat where the first two rounds of Augusta National Women's Amateur will take place."
Provided she remain an amateur, the winner of the Augusta National Women's Amateur 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.
Nowlin garnered many accolades during an impressive fall season, winning her first individual career title with a career-best 6-under par 210 at the 2018 Cardinal Cup. Because of her performance, Nowlin received her first conference weekly honor as Big Ten Golfer of the Week on October 24, 2018.
She helped contribute to the team's three wins during the fall season, which has not been done since 1975. Nowlin is also a WGCA All-American Scholar and two-time second team All-Big Ten selection, who is currently ranked no. 79 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
"This is one of those "once in a lifetime" opportunities," noted Slone. "We are truly grateful to Augusta National for hosting this event and putting these women on this elite stage."
For live stats and event information, please visit www.ANWAgolf.com and follow the event's official social media channels (@ANWAgolf) across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
National Coverage
As announced in September, NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours (11 a.m. – 2 p.m. CT/Noon – 3 pm ET) of live final-round coverage of the event at Augusta National on April 6, 2019. Golf Channel will deliver on-site highlights, live reports and news coverage throughout the event. Full viewing schedule below with more info here about the national televised event.
Wednesday, April 3
6-9 a.m. CT / 7-10 a.m. ET – Golf Channel – Morning Drive
3:30-4 p.m. CT / 4:30-5 p.m. ET – Golf Channel – Live from Augusta National Women's Amateur
Thursday, April 4
6-9 a.m. CT / 7-10 a.m. ET – Golf Channel – Morning Drive
Friday, April 5
6-9 a.m. CT / 7-10 a.m. ET – Golf Channel – Morning Drive
9-10:30 a.m. CT / 10-11:30 a.m. ET – Golf Channel – Live from Augusta National Women's Amateur
Saturday, April 6
6-9 a.m. CT / 7-10 a.m. ET – Golf Channel – Morning Drive
9-11 a.m. CT / 10 a.m.-Noon ET – Golf Channel – Live from Augusta National Women's Amateur
11 a.m.-2 p.m. CT / Noon-3 p.m. ET – NBC – Augusta National Women's Amateur Final Round
The Tournament Courses
The first two rounds of the Augusta National Women's Amateur will take place on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club on Wednesday and Thursday. This is the only club in the world featuring three individually designed courses by Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. The three, nine-hole courses are located among 365 faultless acres of skyward Georgia pines, long-standing hardwoods and numerous wetlands along the great Savannah River.
On Friday, the entire field will have a chance to play at Augusta National Golf Club for an official practice round. The competitors who made the cut will also compete there on Saturday. Hosting the annual Masters Tournament since 1934, the club has tinkered its golf course to keep it competitive for the prestigious event. The course is a fusion of design ideas from the routing by Alister Mackenzie and Bobby Jones, Perry Maxwell greens and Jack Nicklaus mounds.
Follow Augusta National Women's Amateur
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. The event is supported by five presenting partners: AT&T, Bank of America, IBM, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolex. For more information, please visit www.ANWAgolf.com and follow the event's official social media channels (@ANWAgolf) across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About NBC Sports Group's Golf Division
NBC Sports Group's GOLF division delivers multimedia golf content, technology and services. Anchored by GOLF Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 – GOLF content is available to nearly 500 million viewers in nine languages across more than 70 countries around the world. GOLF features more live coverage of the sport than all other U.S. networks combined, including global tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, European Tour, NCAA, THE PLAYERS, The Open, Olympics, Presidents Cup, and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Delivering unmatched coverage from the world of golf via GOLF Digital, fans can access 24/7 live streaming through the NBC Sports App, as well as complementary coverage via PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold. In addition to these all-encompassing media platforms, NBC Sports connects the world to golf through a wide array of technology and lifestyle services, including: GOLFNOW, the world's largest online tee time booking platform; GOLF Business Solutions, solving business needs through leading technology, marketing and services; GOLFPASS, an all-in-one digital membership delivering comprehensive benefits tailored to the modern golfer's lifestyle; Revolution GOLF, the world's largest direct-to-consumer digital platform in golf, offering best-in-class video instruction and game improvement products; GOLF Advisor, the ultimate digital destination for the traveling golfer, featuring the largest number of user-generated golf course ratings and reviews in the industry; GOLF Academy, a North American network of instructional facilities; and GOLF Am Tour, the world's largest amateur golf tour. GOLF's global reach originates from its world headquarters in Orlando, Fla., and extends to its international office in Belfast, Northern Ireland; regional offices across North America, Europe and Australia; and also includes collaborations with Sky Sports and serving as the Official Media Partner of St Andrews Links.
Follow the Illini
Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Women's Golf. Follow the Orange and Blue on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for complete coverage.
