Anna Davis – Syndication Server

How Anna Davis’ caddie, a local college player, is instrumental in her U.S. Women’s Amateur success

“I kind of got roped into it at the last minute. I’m really glad I did.”

TULSA, Okla. — Jenni Roller wanted to play in her hometown U.S. Women’s Amateur. When she didn’t get through qualifying, she offered to caddie for a friend to stay involved in the event.

Then that fell through.

Enter Anna Davis.

The 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion is no stranger to having her twin brother, Billy, on the bag. However, after playing for three straight weeks, Billy wanted to take some time off before beginning his freshman season at Auburn, where Davis will start her sophomore year this fall.

That left Davis needing a caddie. Enter Roller.

“The caddie master out here called me and asked if I wanted to caddie for Anna Davis,” Roller said, “and I was like, yeah!

“I kind of got roped into it at the last minute. I’m really glad I did.”

Davis is into the quarterfinals at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Oklahoma, her second straight year making the final eight. This time, she did it with Roller on the bag, and that partnership has proven vital for Davis.

“She’s great,” Davis said. “We’re kind of the same age. I’ve never had a girl caddie for me who’s the same age as me, too, so it’s been really fun.”

Roller is a rising junior at Tulsa, a program that has made the national championship each of the past two years. She’s also familiar with Southern Hills, a place where she shot 66 before in a competitive round and practices at from time to time with her Golden Hurricane teammates. She also grew up playing the course and comes from a golfing family.

Her mother, Maggie, is the director of instruction at Cedar Ridge, a country club not far from Southern Hills. Maggie also played collegiately at Tulsa and was teammates with Melissa Luellen, Auburn’s coach. The duo played under Luellen’s mom, Dale McNamara, and won the 1988 national championship while Luellen won the individual title (Those were later vacated because of NCAA violations by the track and field team).

Roller’s brother, JP, also plays collegiately at Kansas State.

“Tulsa played at our regional at Auburn, and (Roller’s) mom came and stayed with our coach,” Davis said. “But I think they’re good buddies. They look like they’re having a good time.”

Davis gave credit to Roller in a post-round TV interview that she has been a huge help for Davis in reading greens, and she did so again in another interview a few minutes later.

For Roller, she’s learning just as much from the World No. 16.

“It’s been a good perspective because when you’re playing golf, you just see your own shots, but I’ve been able to see like, obviously her game and a ton of great players, kind of how they interact with the course,” Roller said. “So I’ve learned a lot.”

Roller said she raves at Davis’ ball-striking abilities and how smart she is plodding around a golf course. Davis said the both think similarly around a golf course.

It’s a partnership that came together on a whim, and it’s one that has them in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

“She’s been great on the bag,” Davis said. “I’ve really enjoyed her.”

Anna Davis misses cut at Augusta National Women’s Amateur after devastating slow-play penalty

Davis was notified several times during the round that her group was out of position.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/ZNFxq44B0B8mpaxKTlfV/1712273750318_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ibGpoZW02ZHJncTJlZW1jY2hid3hheWx5am5rZ3l6c3ciIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNyI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

EVANS, Georgia — For a second consecutive year, past champion Anna Davis was hit with a devastating penalty at the fifth edition of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. This time it was for slow play, and once again, she missed the cut.

Davis played alongside tournament leader Lottie Woad and Maria Jose Marin in the second round at Champions Retreat and was notified several times during the round that her group was out of position, said rules committee chair Jim Hyler in a tournament statement.

Davis, 18, received her first bad time after hitting her second shot on the fifth hole, and her second bad time after hitting her second shot on the 17th. She was assessed a one-stroke penalty, that was applied on the 17th hole, resulting in a bogey.

Davis shot 6-over 78 on a blustery day and finished at 4 over for the tournament, missing the cut by one stroke. The top-30 players and ties advance to the final round on Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Some time after the round, a tearful Davis emerged from the clubhouse on Thursday afternoon with her father but was too emotional to talk to a group of reporters, though she did flash a smile. It was still too raw.

Just yesterday, Davis was laughing with reporters about the cards that were passed out on Wednesday morning explaining the rules for preferred lies.

Last year, Davis suffered a four-stroke penalty after she twice picked up the ball from the rough to start the first round. The rule restricts the use of preferred lies to “areas cut to fairway height or less.” She missed the cut by two strokes last year.

Davis, who couldn’t help but laugh when she saw the cards, talked earlier in the week about how much she has grown since winning the ANWA as a 16-year-old bucket-hat-wearing sensation. Winning at Augusta at such a young age, and then playing in several LPGA majors as a result, forced her to grow up a little faster, she said.

“I think I have seen myself grow,” said the Auburn freshman on Tuesday. “Just especially with the situation last year. I think how I handled it was good, and I think if you put me in that situation a few years ago it would’ve been a little different.

“I think if I was put in that situation now, I would handle it better than I did last year.”

Little did she know that another tough lesson would come so quickly.

2023 Golfweek Awards: Female Amateur of the Year

The 2023 Golfweek Award winner for Female Amateur of the Year goes to …

For the second straight year, there wasn’t much conversation among Golfweek‘s staff when it was time to decide the Female Amateur of the Year.

There were plenty of remarkable performances and stellar athletes across the globe who shined bright during the 2023 calendar year. There were defending champions proving their worth, plenty of first-time winners and veterans standing out when the lights were brightest, but one female golfer stood out among them all.

In the end, it came down to four athletes, three who made honorable mention and the Golfweek Female Amateur of the Year. This year’s winner only built on her legacy and cemented herself as the greatest female amateur of all time. The 2023 Golfweek Award winner for Female Amateur of the Year goes to …

MORE: Every Golfweek Award for 2023

Meet ‘Super’ Billy Davis, twin of ANWA champ Anna, who is making a name for himself

He went from likely watching his sister from outside the ropes to earning a berth alongside her as a member of the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup in Rome.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – It’s been a super summer for Super Billy Davis.

Davis, 17, of Spring Valley, California, whose Instagram handle is @SuperBillyDavis, will try to cap off a magical run with victory at the AJGA’s Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, Sept. 1-3.

Davis is the twin brother of 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Anna Davis – “she’s two minutes older than me,” he says – and busting out of her shadow in a big way.

Beginning in December, he’s finished tied for second in the Jones Cup Junior Invitational, won two AJGA titles including the Mayakoba Invitational in April, finished third in the Toyota World Cup representing the U.S. in Japan and helped the West team win the Wyndham Cup in July. At the U.S. Junior Championship later that month, his first USGA championship, he advanced to the semifinals before losing to eventual runner-up Joshua Bai of New Zealand. A week later, on August 1, he tied for second in the Junior PGA Championship.

Add it all up and he has progressed from likely watching his sister from outside the ropes to earning a berth alongside her as a member of the 12-person U.S. Junior Ryder Cup (six boys and six girls), which will compete in Rome Sept. 26-28.

“It’s really unexpected,” he said. “It wasn’t something I had my sights set on at all, but once I got on this run I ended up earning a whole bunch of points.”

Check out the swing of Billy Davis at 17 @TPCSawgrass. The twin brother of ANWA champ Anna has game too. #AJGA pic.twitter.com/pkuktKLVxD

— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) September 1, 2023

Indeed, he did, and at minimum he will enjoy some good pizza, pasta and gelato as a result while hoping he also can pick the brain of fellow San Diego native Xander Schauffele in Rome. Davis has climbed to fifth in the AJGA’s Rolex rankings and No. 460 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He still has a long way to go to catch his twin, who is ranked No. 4 in the women’s ranking and finished second at the LPGA Tour’s Mizuho Americas Open. Anna, who made her bucket hat famous during her victorious turn at Augusta National last year, is just behind Rose Zhang as a leading lady of women’s golf. Asked how he handles being in her shadows, Super Billy says it’s actually pretty cool and has its benefits – such as when they go to their home course in San Diego and everyone wants to talk to big sister.

“She can hardly practice while I can do my thing,” he said. “Every once in a while, someone will stop me and say, ‘Hey, didn’t I see you caddying for your sister on TV?’ ”

But Super Billy won’t be under the radar for long if he keeps racking up wins and top finishes in the biggest junior events. He is yet another super-talented ballstriking machine. He’s 135 pounds soaking wet and with his glasses on – one can only imagine that once the Auburn University commit (as is his sister) gets on a rigorous training program and grows into his wiry frame, he’ll only become longer. He’s already got enough pop. When asked how he fares against his sister, he says he more than holds his own. And in case you were wondering if a teen who goes by Super Billy has the swagger to match that of his sister, he adds, “It’s not a fair fight when we play from the tips.”

Players to watch at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club

It’s bound to be an exciting week at Bel-Air.

It’s time for one of the premier women’s amateur championships.

The 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur begins Monday at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, as the field of 156 players will vie for their chance to capture the oldest trophy in women’s amateur golf, the Robert Cox Trophy.

This will be the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur, which began in 1895. There were a record 1,679 entries accepted for the championship.

Although the top three players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking aren’t in the field, including defending champion Saki Baba, there’s no shortage of star power who will be teeing it up near Beverly Hills.

Here’s a look at 10 players to watch at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club.

Defending champ Yana Wilson earns medalist honors at 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior

Yana Wilson has an opportunity to become the fourth player to repeat as U.S. Girls’ Junior champion.

[anyclip pubname=”2122″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8171″]

Seeing Yana Wilson and Anna Davis on top of the leaderboard should be no surprise to those who follow junior golf.

Wilson is the defending champion at the U.S. Girls’ Junior, and she earned medalist honors this year at Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado, following a second-round 4-under 68 to finish at 6-under 138, one shot ahead of Davis. The winner of the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, Davis is the highest-ranked player in the field and shot a second-round 1-under 71.

Now, the duo has secured the top seeds in match play, which begins at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday with the Round of 64.

The two have battled plenty in recent tournaments, including Wilson holing a shot for eagle to beat Davis in a playoff at the 2022 Annika Invitational.

Yana Wilson plays with a golf ball while waiting to hit her drive off the hole 17 tee box during the second round of the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior at United States Air Force Academy Eisenhower Golf Club (Blue Course) in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

Wilson, an Oregon commit, and Davis, who’s headed to Auburn, are two of the top prospects in the Class of 2024. Kiara Romero, who finished third after 36 holes of stroke play, is an incoming freshman at Oregon.

Wilson will try to become the sixth medalist to hoist the Glenna Collett Vare Trophy since 2002. She also has an opportunity to become the fourth player to repeat as U.S. Girls’ Junior champion and first since Eun Jeong Seong in 2015-16.

The cut for match play was 7 over, and exactly 64 players were inside the line. It’s the first time no playoff was needed for the final spots since 2007 at Tacoma Golf and Country Club in Lakewood, Washington.

Additionally, there was another ace Tuesday, marking the fourth of the tournament. Sophie Stevens used a 9-iron from 132 yards on the seventh hole.

The four aces surpassed the 2004 U.S. Girls’ Junior for the most in a single championship. It also matches the USGA mark for a single event with the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.

[lawrence-related id=778379113,778375189]

Teams to watch at the USGA Women’s Amateur Four-Ball include Stanford mid-ams, pair of 14-year-olds and a bomber who nearly advanced through U.S. Open local qualifying

Match play begins on Monday with the Round of 32.

History was made at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball as seven teams shared medalist honors at stroke-play qualifying. That’s the most for any USGA championship, surpassing the six players who medaled at the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Bandon Dunes.

During an unseasonably warm and windy day at The Home Course in DuPont, Washington, the seven sides finished at 11-under 133 to top a crowded leaderboard. A total of 32 teams advanced to match play, with an 8-for-5 playoff moving into a Monday finish.

Defending champs Thienna Huynh, 19, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Sara Im, 18, of Duluth, Georgia, carried their momentum into 2023 as they shared medalist honors thanks to a nine-hole record of 30 on the front nine.

Thienna Huynh and Sara Im at the medalist ceremony during the the second round of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. on Sunday, May 14, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

Match play begins on Monday with the Round of 32. With the NCAA Championship being held this week in Arizona, few college players were able to qualify for the event due to scheduling. That leaves a number of hotshot teen tandems in the field. In fact, there were 18 players in the field this week between the ages of 12 and 15.

Two teams of 14-year-olds advanced.

Here are five more teams to watch heading into match play:

Rose Zhang races out to lead at Augusta National Women’s Amateur after record 66; Anna Davis hit with four-stroke penalty

Zhang, 19, has won everything that matters in the amateur game except the ANWA.

[mm-video type=video id=01gwr2vy3zj2ka4x2s7c playlist_id=none player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gwr2vy3zj2ka4x2s7c/01gwr2vy3zj2ka4x2s7c-c21fde6a47d88cfaaa55ac38101400fc.jpg]

EVANS, Ga. — Rose Zhang said her father, Haibin, feverishly swept away the pine needles that were in the line of her 50-foot birdie putt on the 14^th hole Wednesday at Champions Retreat.

“He was doing it like a maniac,” said Zhang, “and I was low-key kind of telling him to calm down in terms of trying to help me get the little stuff out of the way.”

Top-ranked Zhang drained the putt and later thanked dad for the assist. It was one of six birdies on the day for Zhang, who posted a record 6-under 66 at Champions Retreat, besting the previous record of 68 carded by 2019 champion Jennifer Kupcho and Zoe Campos in the opening round in the inaugural event. Zhang birdied all four par 5s and leads Ole Miss senior Andrea Lignell by one stroke.

“With the round being so soft and being muddy,” said Zhang, “I can’t really expect anything more out of my game today.”

ANWA: Photos

A dozen players broke par on a sun-splashed day in Evans, Georgia, where more than five inches of rain fell earlier in the week, forcing officials to put preferred lies into play. Unfortunately for 2022 champion Anna Davis, she was issued a four-stroke penalty after the round for twice picking up her ball in the rough on the first hole. The Model Local Rule stipulated that the ball could only be picked up in areas cut to fairway height or less.

Davis, who was informed of the potential penalty on the fourth tee, proceeded to double that hole and then made bogey on the fifth. She made four birdies coming in, however, to still give herself a shot at making the cut. The top 30 players and ties after 36 holes advance to the final round at Augusta National. Davis sits at 4-over 76, with her five on the opening hole changing to a nine after the round.

“I had a good round if you don’t count the first hole,” said Davis, who seemed to be in fine spirits after the round when talking to the media, all things considered.

The cut line right now falls at 2 over.

Sweden’s Lignell rode a hot putter to 67, crediting her fine play this college season to a “putting project” she put into place, concentrating on the greens for an hour or so each practice. She won her first two college titles last fall. Three weeks ago, she put a new putter in the bag, too.

“I expected to score maybe around par,” said Lignell, a biomedical engineering major. “It’s so much fun. It’s unbelievable.”

Zhang, 19, has won everything that matters in the amateur game except the ANWA. She joins Pat Hurst and Tiger Woods as the only players to win the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Junior and NCAA Championship.

Zhang, a winner of nine college events in two years at Stanford, said her father will be on the bag Thursday but that she might switch to an Augusta National caddie for the final round. When asked how dad has improved as a caddie over the years, Zhang said he’s definitely mellowed out and that she doesn’t have to guide him around like she once did.

“He’s still very much a very energy high kind of person,” she said, “and I think that matches really well with my nonchalant self when I’m on the golf course.”

Past champion Anna Davis receives four-stroke penalty at Augusta National Women’s Amateur

Davis recorded a bogey on the hole, but she wound up with a nine.

EVANS, Ga. — Augusta National Women’s Amateur defending champion Anna Davis will face a severe uphill climb in her title defense after a four-shot penalty. Davis picked up her ball twice from the rough on the first hole at Champions Retreat to lift, clean and place, she explained after the round.

Davis thought she recorded a bogey on the hole but wound up with a nine, as two penalty strokes are applied to each infraction. Davis said she was informed of the potential violation on the fourth tee, which she proceeded to double.

The tournament released the following statement after her round: “During play of her first hole, Anna Davis lifted her ball and failed to replace it on its original spot on two separate occurrences. Under Rule 9.4, Ms. Davis has been penalized two strokes for each occurrence of playing from a wrong place. Her score on hole 1 will be increased from 5 to 9.”

“Little rough start to the day,” said Davis, “but that’s alright, it happens. It’s a learning experience.”

Augusta National sent out a memo to players on March 28 noting that due to heavy rains earlier in the week, the committee opted to adopt Model Local Rule E-3 “preferred lies” for the first two rounds of the tournament.

The rule restricts the use of preferred lies to “areas cut to fairway height or less.” Davis mistakenly thought the rule was for the entire course, which is why she did it twice on the first hole. She didn’t find out until after her round that she would take the penalty.

“I asked my scorer if we were doing it like everywhere,” said Davis, “but I guess he didn’t know. But he said, ‘Yeah, we were.’ So whatever, it happens.”

Davis has Ryan Bisharat, a family friend and former University of San Diego college player who plays out of the same club in California, on the bag this week. Davis said Bisharat tried to take the blame, and she assured him that everything was OK.

The top-30 players and ties advance to the final round, held at Augusta National. Davis won the third edition of the tournament last spring at age 16 and came into this week’s tournament fresh off a victory at the nearby Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.

Davis sits at 4 over for the tournament and T-43.

Augusta National Women’s Amateur preview: Anna Davis dishes on her title defense

Davis entered the 2022 ANWA as a successful junior golfer but a relatively unknown name. A lot changes in a year.

This time last year Anna Davis entered the Augusta National Women’s Amateur as a successful junior golfer but a relatively unknown name.

Fast forward to this year and the 17-year-old will make a return trip down Magnolia Lane to defend her title as one of the must-watch players in the loaded field.

Donning her now-signature bucket hat, Davis shocked the patrons at Augusta National in 2022 with her come-from-behind victory as the 16-year-old became the event’s youngest champion in its three-year history and finished as the lone player under par for the tournament. Davis made four birdies in the final round, including two at Amen Corner on Nos. 12 and 13, with a lone bogey on the par-4 third hole.

Now 17, Davis thinks of herself as more mature both on and off the course, a dangerous combination for the rest of the field that includes the likes of 2021 champion Tsubasa Kajitani and the world’s top amateur and Stanford star, Rose Zhang.

“I think it’s made me mature a little bit more as a person and in my golf game, as well, that’s definitely a big thing,” Davis said of how her life has changed since her signature win.

Davis prepared for her title defense last week at the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, where she won wire-to-wire on a course that sets up with similar challenges to both Augusta National and Champions Retreat, where the first two rounds of the ANWA will be contested.

“Getting to play in this area is helpful,” Davis said of her Sage Valley experience, which is located less than 20 miles from Augusta National. “Sage Valley is very similar to Augusta and Champions Retreat so being able to play at Sage Valley is an advantage for sure.”

As if she needed another leg up on the field.