AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fighting Illini women's golf junior standout Tristyn Nowlin made her comeback at the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA) on Wednesday, April 3. The Richmond, Ky. native made history as one of the best 72 players in the world chosen to play at the prestigious event before the Masters Tournament.
The ANWA rolled out the "green" carpet for all of the participants, each greeted with a special event at the SRP Park that consisted of dinner and a fun "closes to the pin" competition. "Closest to the pin" refers to the golfer whose ball stops nearest to the flagstick is closest to the pin or nearest to the pin.
On Tuesday, April 2, the golfers were able to get used to the course at Champions Retreat Golf Club. Afterwards, the ladies were invited to the Chairman's Dinner at Augusta National Golf Club (ANGB).
"Dinner was a wonderful experience, as we were all given the chance to walk through the clubhouse to relive and learn more about the amazing history of The Masters and ANGC," said Nowlin
Competitors took part in the first of two preliminary rounds that will decide who advances to the finals of the event, taking place on Saturday at the renowned Augusta National Golf Course. The Top-30 finishers after the first two rounds will earn a spot in the finals.
After round one, Nowlin has found herself within striking distance of the cutline. The junior is currently tied for 40th with a 76 (+4), only two strokes back of the top-30 cut line. After some bogeys, Nowlin recovered nicely with birdies on the third and seventh holes. During the second round, Nowlin battled through with a 77 (+5) on the day. She also posted three birdies including two on back nine.
"Overall, I played well but put myself into some tricky places around the difficult back nine", noted Nowlin. "More information was gathered and put towards Thursday's game plan."
Nowlin ended the tournament with a 153 (+9), placing 52nd overall.
"On Thursday, I was able to play the back nine much better but struggled through the first 5 holes on the front nine," said Nowlin. "My round was highlighted by a near hole-in-one on hole 17!"
She also had the opportunity to participate in a practice round at the prestigious August National Golf Club (ANGC). It has been the host for the annual Masters Tournament since 1934.
"Friday was the day every player had been anticipating, the chance to play at ANGC," noted Nowlin. "The forecast wasn't looking good in the days leading up to Friday, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. TV truly does not do ANGC justice! The elevation changes are pretty extreme on a couple holes! This is an experience that I will truly remember for a lifetime, and I am extremely grateful for everyone who had supported and helped me along the way to achieve a dream of mine. A very special thank you to Chairman Fred Ridley for making this event possible!"
Reigning NCAA champion, Jennifer Kupcho of Wake Forest, won the event on Saturday afternoon with a 206 (-5).
Follow the Augusta National Women's Amateur
The Augusta National Women's Amateur was announced on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, by Augusta National 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.
For more information, please visit ANWAgolf.com and follow the event's official social media channels (@ANWAgolf) across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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