Megha Ganne made headlines on Thursday by setting a new record at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) with an impressive 9-under 63 during her Round 1 performance at Champions Retreat. Remarkably, this score was the highest in tournament history. It was two strokes better than the previous best record by Rose Zhang.
Ganne’s round was extraordinary in so many ways, not the least of which was that she did it without a bogey. The combination of the warm weather and soft turf conditions played to her advantage. Like any good mountaineers, they helped her chart a course to make her own history. Ganne proved her talent, making four birdies on the back nine. With each spectacular shot, she showed she was worthy of the moment.
Perhaps the loudest roar came on the 15th hole when Ganne made an incredible 45-foot birdie putt. Earlier in the round, she failed to eagle on the par-5 14th. She more than made up for it on the very next hole, stunning the crowd with a long-range shot from out of nowhere.
“Enjoy today and take the rest of the week as it comes,” Ganne remarked following her record-setting round. She told people she felt very calm and focused going into the rest of the tournament, and it showed.
As the competition continues to grow fierce, Ganne emerges on top, holding a two-shot lead heading into the final round. Defending champion Lottie Woad finished her day on 69. Woad acknowledged Ganne’s exceptional performance, stating, “I saw she was at 9 under and thought I needed to get something going.”
In addition to Ganne and Woad, Anna Davis—who won the ANWA three years ago—echoed sentiments regarding Ganne’s impact on the field. Davis posted a score of 69, noting, “Now it’s not, ‘Want to make the cut.’ It’s just trying to catch her.”
The tournament field featured incredibly stiff competition. Farah O’Keefe, Kiara Romero and Amanda Sambach all carded closing rounds of 67 to finish strong. Impressive indeed, as 29 players from the 71-player field managed to break par during their opening round.
Looking forward, the full field will have a chance for a practice round at Augusta National on Friday. Those who pass the audition will go on to race on Saturday for a shot at the crown.
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