Carlson, Kim Invited To Play Augusta National Women's Amateur Tournament
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt student-athletes Abbey Carlson and Auston Kim have been invited to play in the second annual Augusta National Women's Amateur, which will be held April 1-4.
Carlson, a senior from Lake Mary, Florida, and Kim, a sophomore from St. Augustine, Florida, will join an international field of 72 amateurs for the 54-hole, stroke-play tournament. The event will include a cut after 36 holes, with the leading 30 players advancing to the final round at Augusta National Golf Club, annual site of the Master’s Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
Carlson and Kim will become the first Commodores to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which received excellent reviews in its inaugural edition.
"I’m very happy for Abbey and Auston on their invitations to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and thrilled that our program will be represented by two players," Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen said. “This was a tremendous event last year that brought a great deal of awareness to women’s golf and I’m sure it will be even better. I’m proud of both of them and can’t wait to watch them compete.”
Carlson is two-time All-Southeastern Conference performer who represented the United States at the 2019 Palmer Cup competition. A medalist at the 2018 Mason Rudolph Championship in Franklin, Tennessee, Carlson has a pair of top-10 finishes this fall, including a runner-up result at the 2019 Mason Rudolph. Last fall, she owned a 72.1 stroke average in four competitions.
Kim qualified for the United States Women’s Open and U.S. Women’s Amateur as a Commodore freshman. An individual winner at last season’s NCAA Auburn Regionals, Kim set Vanderbilt’s 54-hole scoring record when she posted a 16-under-par 200 to win the 2019 Cougar Classic by seven strokes in September. Kim’s 71.42 stroke average during the recent fall campaign tops the Vanderbilt lineup.
The opening two rounds of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur will be contested April 1-2 at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta. The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round on April 3. The final round, featuring the top 30 competitors, will take place at Augusta National on April 4.
The Augusta National Women's Amateur champion, provided she remains an amateur, will receive an invitation to the next five Augusta National Women's Amateur editions, the 2020 U.S. Women's Open, the 2020 Women's British Open, and any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships for which she is eligible for one year.
NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National. 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 on-site during the first two competitive rounds at Champions Retreat. Additionally, Golf Channel's "Live From the Masters" program will commence on April 3 from Augusta National and wrap ANWA coverage on April 4.
In 2019, world No. 1 amateur Jennifer Kupcho became the first Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion. Kupcho made an eagle and three birdies over the closing six holes to outduel runner-up Maria Fassi of Arkansas.
