EVANS, Ga. — With 72 of the best women’s amateur golfers in the field it was no surprise that 36 holes weren’t enough to determine the top-30 players to make the cut at the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Following a 7.5-hour weather delay on Thursday, second-round action rolled over to Friday morning at Champions Retreat Golf Club, host of the first two rounds of play, and featured a 4-for-1 playoff for the last spot in Saturday’s final round. After making par on Nos. 10, 11, and 17 on the first three playoff holes, Paula Schulz-Hanssen emerged victorious with a fourth par on No. 18, dispatching Virginia’s Amanda Sambach, who made bogey. Arizona State senior Alexandra Forsterling was eliminated with a bogey on No. 11, with Vanderbilt senior Auston Kim doing the same on the 17th.
As if qualifying for the final round at Augusta National Golf Club wasn’t good enough, Schulz-Hanssen did so on her 19th birthday.
“I was so nervous, but I just tried to not think too much about it, and Charles, my caddie, and I was just like, ‘Just trust your game. Just do your own thing,’” explained Schulz-Hanssen, who missed the cut at last year’s ANWA. “Yeah, I didn’t make any big mistakes. So I think that was the key.”
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Florida State senior Beatrice Wallin – the lone player to shoot under par in the second round – and LSU junior Latanna Stone are tied atop the leaderboard at even par entering the final round.
Wallin is no stranger to the weekend at Augusta National after finishes of T-7 in 2019 and T-10 in 2021. Knowing it’s her last time at the event, the 22-year-old from Sweden is just soaking it all in one last time.
“So I’m just going to go out there with a big smile and see, whatever happens, happens,” said Wallin.
Stone has some Augusta National experience as well, having been a national finalist at the 2014 Drive, Chip & Putt.
“I’m really pumped to play Augusta. I’ve never played it before, so it’s going to be a real treat,” said Stone. “I’ve just been trying to keep it simple – fairways, greens, two-putt, and kind of get off. I’m not trying to do anything special. I know there’s not a lot of birdies out there, and I’m just trying to stay patient.”
The Riverview, Florida, native remembers watching Bubba Watson’s famous shot from the Woods at the 2012 Masters and even had the chance to go in the PING vault and see his wedge. Would she try to recreate that shot during Friday afternoon’s practice round?
“I don’t know about that,” she said with a smile. “I’m just going to try to hit the fairway.”
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