Tag: Anna Davis

Anna Davis, Aldrich Potgieter lead at Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, where no lead is safe

The first-round leaders remain atop the leaderboard, but each has a few players within striking distance.

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. – The players at the 2023 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley are treated like royalty the minute they step on the picturesque property tucked away behind the South Carolina pines. They also have 18 king and queen-sized challenges waiting for them as soon as they put a tee in the ground.

Known as one of, if not the best junior golf tournaments in the world, this year’s Junior Invitational – which boasts a field of the top girls and boys golfers from around the world – has been a survival of the fittest test this week, and Friday’s second round at Sage Valley Golf Club was no different. The winds were high, and for the second consecutive day, the scores were as well.

First-round leaders Anna Davis and Aldrich Potgieter remain atop the leaderboard, but each has a few players within striking distance entering the final round.

Davis looks to celebrate 17th birthday with win

Davis turned 17 on Friday and celebrated by taking a five-shot lead over the field to hold a commanding lead ahead of Saturday’s finale.

“It was kind of the same thing as yesterday, I hit just about every fairway and green and then one putt or two putt and then move on to the next hole,” said Davis, who was dissatisfied with her putting on Thursday despite taking the early lead with a 2-under 70. The defending Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion was one shot better on Friday with a 3-under 69. “I just started off a little better, I didn’t have as many three putts so I just had a better start to the round.”

Nika Ito is in solo second at even par, with Fiona Xu and Andrea Revuelta T-3 at 2 over. Kati Li and Bailey Shoemaker round out the top five at 3 over.

While you may think a five-to-eight-shot advantage may be insurmountable, don’t forget what happened last year at Sage Valley, where Shoemaker lost a seven-shot lead in the final round and wound up falling short to Amalie Leth-Nissen in a playoff.

“I love to come from behind, I think that’s the best place to be. Having a lead is pretty hard, especially having a two-day lead,” explained Shoemaker, a USC commit. “I know what happened to me last year, so I’d like to turn the tables and get my own little taste of it. So hopefully, hopefully, I can do a little bit like Amalie did to me last year.

“I’ve been thinking about Sage Valley for the last three months, just hoping to get my little taste of revenge. Hopefully,I can shoot something tomorrow and just post the score and give myself a chance.”

Can anyone catch Potgieter?

Over on the boys’ side, Potgieter has a five-shot lead of his own after following a Thursday 65 with a Friday 70 to sit at 9 under, but he’s not the only player to go low this week. Connor Williams, bound for Arizona State in the fall, fired a bogey-free 5-under 67 on Friday to clip Eduardo Derbez Torres (68) for the day’s low round.

“Honestly, the first few holes I was hitting it really good, gave myself chances. I had a rough stretch off the tee from Nos. 7-10, hit a really bad drive on 10 but got a good break from a kick back in the fairway,” Williams said of his round. “From there I locked in, took it low and made a good eagle on 15, hit a really good drive and only had a 7-iron in, so that helped a lot. Closed it out well.

“You gotta give every shot your full attention because you know the next one can be just as hard,” added Williams, who has become friends with Potgieter after sharing a cottage with him this week. “I did a great job with that today. I took it one step at a time, didn’t really get ahead of myself and it worked out well.”

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With their eyes on Augusta National, Aldrich Potgieter and Anna Davis take early Junior Invitational at Sage Valley leads

Both players will be at Augusta National in two weeks, but they still have 36 holes to go in South Carolina first.

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. – The beauty of Sage Valley Golf Club disarms you when you step on the property.

And then you take your first swing.

The pristine course proved it’s a more than capable test of talent Thursday during the first round of the 2023 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, where the best junior players from around the world were largely flummoxed on a nearly perfect (albeit chilly in the morning) day.

Well, not everyone.

Aldrich Potgieter put his windows down and his round on cruise control to the tune of a bogey-free, 7-under 65 in the opening round. The South African made birdie on his first four holes of the day and added three more on Nos. 6, 11 and 15 to take a commanding six-shot lead into Friday’s second round. Bryan Kim, Eric Lee, William Jennings and Preston Stout are all T-2 at 1 under.

“I hit most of the fairways, was unlucky on the last hole, it ran through the fairway just on the left side and went into a divot so didn’t really have a look for birdie there, but yeah, really solid,” said Potgieter. “Left the chip short on 17, almost holed it, and on 16, so that was really good. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

The 18-year-old is also looking forward to a trip 20 miles down the road in a few weeks to Augusta National Golf Club. As the defending British Amateur champion, Potgieter earned exemptions into both the legendary 150th Open at St. Andrews last year, as well as the Masters this year.

“(The Open) just gave me so much experience and I’m looking forward to the Masters now coming up,” he said. “I’m trying to use this week to prepare for Augusta, both have quick greens, and this golf course is so good.”

Potgieter has yet to make his first trip down Magnolia Lane, but he did pick the brain of two-time PGA Tour winner Tom Kim, who played Augusta National earlier this week before an appearance at Wednesday’s Nike Night at the Junior Invitational.

“The Masters is probably the biggest tournament I grew up watching on TV. Seeing that chip in from Tiger, I watch that probably five times a year on YouTube,” explained Potgieter. “To play (the Masters) at a young age is just unbelievable.”

Speaking of, on the girls side of the leaderboard, 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Anna Davis leads the way after a 2-under 70 on Thursday. Davis struggled at the start after two bogeys over her first three holes but found some rhythm with four birdies over Nos. 6-10 to take a two-shot lead into Friday. Nika Ito and Andrea Revuelta are T-2 at even par.

“I was hitting it really close most of the day. I kind of had a rocky start there for a second on the front nine, but I brought it back,” said Davis of her round. “I think I was just hitting every fairway, hitting every green, putting kind of let me down a little bit today, but other than that it’s good.”

Around this time last year, the now-16-year-old from Spring Valley, California, was an underdog winner at the ANWA. These days, she’s the favorite every tournament she tees it up.

“I’ve gotten used to it, kind of knowing people know my name now, people know my face. People are gonna put pressure on you because they expect you to win these tournaments, but I just don’t really let that get to me,” said Davis. “I know all these girls are great players. I know everybody has a chance to win. The attention is nice sometimes, but yeah I think I’m alright with it.”

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Golf’s future men’s, women’s stars align at 2023 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley

Everything you need to know for one of, if not the, best junior golf tournaments in the world.

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. — Founded in 2011, the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley has become one of, if not the, best competitions in junior golf.

This year’s event at Sage Valley Golf Club, a private, pristine gem of a course nestled among the pines less than 20 miles from famed Augusta National Golf Club, features a loaded field of some of junior golf’s best players from 17 different countries.

Junior Invitational returned to the amateur schedule in 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the 54-hole event featured a new wrinkle: a girls competition held concurrently alongside the boys. Last year’s event didn’t just include the first girls field, but also the first playoff. Not only that, both boys and girls champions were decided by a playoff.

With a pair of gold jackets on the line, here’s everything you need to know for this week’s 2023 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.

Meet Gianna Clemente: The 14-year-old who Monday-qualified for three consecutive LPGA events

The fields

Neither defending champion will be back in 2023, but Bailey Shoemaker, who held a seven-shot lead entering the final round in 2022 and lost to girls champion Amalie Leth-Nissen in a playoff, returns as a favorite alongside 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Anna Davis and nine of the top-10 players in the Golfweek/Sagarin girls ranking.

Of the 24 girls in the field, 13 are from the United States, with two from Spain and one from Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan.

The 36-player boys field includes the top-12 players in the Golfweek/Sagarin ranking, such as No. 1 Preston Stout and 2022 AJGA Player of the Year Eric Lee. A whopping 25 of the boys players hail from the United States, while Mexico and the United Kingdom each have two players in the field. Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Thailand each have one player in the field.

Records

The lowest rounds recorded both occurred during the inaugural event in 2011, where both Nick Reach (first round) and Justin Thomas (final round) shot 10-under 62. The closest since? That’d be 2019 champion Tom McKibbin, who fired an 8-under 64 in his final round.

Reach also holds the record for lowest 54-hole total after winning by eight shots in 2011 at 20 under following impressive rounds of 62-66-68. Last year’s playoff participants Luke Potter and champion Caleb Surratt each finished at 14 under, the second-best 54-hole total in event history.

On the flipside, the girl’s record books are primed for filling after last year’s inaugural event. Shoemaker holds the mark for lowest score with her 7-under 65 in the second round in 2022, which was two shots better than Davis’ 5-under 67 in the opening round.

Leth-Nissen and Shoemaker each finished at 5 under for the tournament before their playoff.

Past champions

2011: Nicholas Reach

2012: Zachary Olsen

2013: Carson Young

2014: Scottie Scheffler

2015: Marcus Kinhult

2016: Austin Eckroat

2017: Joaquin Niemann

2018: Akshay Bhatia

2019: Tom McKibbin

2020: Jackson Van Paris

2022: Caleb Surratt (boys), Amalie Leth-Nissen (girls)

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All three rounds of 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur to be broadcast; field includes World No. 1 Rose Zhang, last two champions

The field is going to be loaded.

If the initial field is any indication, the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur is going to be the best yet.

Invitations for the fourth ANWA were sent out last month, and 70 players as of Feb. 1 are confirmed in the field for the event, which is slated for March 29-April 1. What’s more impressive is the quality of the field.

Each of the top 45 eligible amateurs in the final World Amateur Golf Ranking of 2022 have accepted invitations to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, including the last two champions, Tsubasa Kajitani and Anna Davis, along with top-ranked amateur Rose Zhang, a sophomore at Stanford.

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Held the week before the 87th Masters, the first and second rounds of the ANWA will be at Champions Retreat Golf Club on the Island and Bluff nines. Come Friday, all players will have a practice round at Augusta National before those who make the 36-hole cut compete in the final round Saturday. The 36-hole cut will now be the top 30 and ties, as well.

For the first time ever, the first two rounds will be broadcast on Golf Channel from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET. NBC will air the final round from 12-3 p.m. ET.

The winner of the ANWA will earn exemptions into three majors: the Chevron Championship, U.S. Women’s Open and AIG Women’s Open.

Tickets are sold out for the ANWA. More information on the field can be found here.

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College golf: Anna Davis, the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion, commits to Auburn

Anna Davis has decided where she wants to play college golf. (If she ever does.)

Anna Davis has decided where she wants to play college golf.

The 16-year-old who won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April announced Monday she has committed to the Auburn women’s golf program via her Instagram account. Davis posted a photo with Tigers’ coach Melissa Luellen and assistant Kim Hall.

Last week, Davis’ twin brother, Billy, committed to play for the Auburn men.

However, whether Davis ever makes it to Auburn remains to be seen. She could turn professional before ever teeing it up for the Tigers. The early signing period for her class is next November.

She’s the second-ranked golfer in the Class of 2024, behind Yana Wilson, and fourth among all amateurs in the American Junior Golf Association’s rankings. She’s seventh in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

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Davis earned exemptions into several professional events following her victory at Augusta National, including three majors. Her best finish is a T-50 at the LPGA’s Palos Verdes Championship.

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Rose Zhang, Rachel Heck and Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner Anna Davis among six wild cards for next LPGA major

Future stars of the women’s game are bound for the LPGA’s fourth major of the season in France.

The Amundi Evian Championship has announced six wild card selections for this year’s event, slated for July 21-24. The season’s fourth major will be held at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, France, with an increased purse of $6.5 million and $1 million to the winner.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko headlines the field along with No. 2 Nelly Korda and last year’s winner Minjee Lee, who won the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles in June and finished runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Five amateurs and one professional have been award exemptions this year, including top-ranked amateur Rose Zhang.

A look at the wild cards for 2022:

Augusta National champ Anna Davis plays the weekend for a second time on the LPGA, gears up for major debut

Amateur Anna Davis is now 2-for-2 in playing the weekend on the LPGA.

Anna Davis’ victory at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last month opened up a number of doors for the 16-year-old Californian, including her first starts on the LPGA. The amateur Davis is now 2-for-2 in playing the weekend on the LPGA, having made the cut in her debut at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open and on the opposite coast this week at the Cognizant Founders Cup.

“I guess it’s pretty awesome,” said Davis. “I don’t know how to describe it. I think two weeks ago I kind of knew what I was getting into, and now I kind of know what’s going to happen on the weekend or kind of know what to expect.”

Davis tied for 50th at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey. On Saturday, she was paired with inaugural ANWA winner Jennifer Kupcho, who won the first major of the year. When asked if they talked about their Augusta connection, Davis said she doesn’t talk much when she competes but thought it was cool.

“I think it kind of gives me a lot of confidence that I know that she won (ANWA) three years ago,” said Davis, “and I don’t know how long she’s been on tour, but I think two years maybe. That definitely gives me hope for the future for sure.”

Kupcho noted that Davis is quiet but quick, and that she bombs it off the tee.

“I tried to talk to her,” said Kupcho. “It’s hard to get stuff out of her. She’s obviously really shy, but it was fun.”

2022 Cognizant Founders CupAnna Davis hits their shot on the 2nd tee during the third round of the 2022 Cognizant Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey. (Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Davis, known for her bucket hats, wore a special rubber duck bucket hat in the third round in honor of what would have been LPGA Founder Shirley Spork’s 95th birthday. Spork died on April 12.

Davis had the opportunity to meet Spork last year when she competed on the Junior Solheim Cup team.

Davis’ next professional start will be her biggest to date: She’ll compete in her first LPGA major at the 77th U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles.

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Augusta National champion Anna Davis plays the weekend in LPGA debut, gets taste of the future

Overall, Anna Davis’ take on her first LPGA event: “Really fun.”

Overall, Anna Davis’ take on her first LPGA event: “really fun.”

The 16-year-old high school sophomore from Spring Valley, California, left Georgia last month rather stunned that she’d won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. A host of invites to LPGA events followed, including three majors.

Davis finished the second round of the Palos Verdes Championship in impressive fashion – eagle, birdie par – to play the weekend. A final-round 76, however, dropped her to 70th for the event.

“I didn’t play that well,” said Davis, when asked what she’d learned abut herself this week.. “Like, nothing about my game was really that great this week, but I would say just staying like – staying together just mentally.

“Like especially on the second day for sure, knowing that I had to do something and then getting it done to make the cut was nice.”

Davis called making the cut in her first LPGA event “a pretty good accomplishment.” The serious, more focused atmosphere of a professional event did not escape the young amateur.

Davis said she’ll be more prepared going into her next LPGA start at the Cognizant Founders Cup later this month. Also on the docket: the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, Amundi Evian Masters and AIG Women’s British Open at Muirfield. She’ll fill in other events around the majors.

“Super good experience,” said Davis of the week, “and it’s something I look forward to doing in my future.”

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Augusta National champion Anna Davis, 16, delivers eagle-birdie-par finish to make cut in LPGA debut

Davis, 16, reached the par-5 16th in two and made a 40-foot putt for eagle to vault up the leaderboard.

Anna Davis knew as she stepped onto the 16th tee at Palos Verdes that a change of strategy was in order. The 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion was 4 over for the tournament and two shots outside the cut line in her first LPGA start at the inaugural Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America.

“I knew that I obviously had to make something happen to make the cut,” said Davis, who is playing on a sponsor exemption. “I knew that I had to be kind of aggressive going into the last few holes.”

Davis, 16, reached the par-5 16th in two and made a 40-foot putt for eagle to vault up the leaderboard.

“Like I knew it had to go in and I made it,” said Davis, “so that was cool.”

She then set out to play more conservatively on the last two holes but wound up with a bonus birdie on the 17th hole to give herself a cushion. Davis’ eagle-birdie-par finish over the last three holes put her in a share of 52nd for the tournament at 1 over. She shot 71-72 in her first two rounds on the LPGA.

Anna Davis hits a shot during the first round of the Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America. (courtesy of LPGA)

Hannah Green holds a three-shot lead over the field at 9 under with No. 1 Jin Young Ko, Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee and Megan Khang in a four-way tie for second.

Davis’ chill vibe and signature bucket hat helped make her a popular champion at Augusta. The high school sophomore is currently ranked 47th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Aside from last week’s Monday qualifier on the LPGA, this is her first competitive start since winning the ANWA.

Davis tees off at 9:20 a.m. local time alongside Xiyu Lin.

“It was my goal to make the cut so I’m glad that I could do that,” she said. “Yeah, it’ll be cool to play this weekend.”

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Augusta National champion Anna Davis, rocking her bucket hat, opens with a 71 in LPGA debut at Palos Verdes

The 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champ admitted to feeling some nerves early in the day.

Anna Davis admitted to feeling some nerves Thursday morning in the lead-up to her LPGA debut. But by the time she got to the tee, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion said she was fine.

It’s a week of firsts for Davis, 16, who hails from Spring Valley, California, but finds herself in the Los Angeles area for the first time.

“I think it was pretty much like every other tournament I would say,” said Davis, who opened with even-par 71 at the Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America.

“There weren’t like as many people, but I’m expecting for the next few days leading up to see some more people out here. See how that goes.”

Davis, who is playing this week on a sponsor exemption, started on the back nine at Palos Verdes Golf Club and was 2 under through her first five holes. She hit 12 fairways, 10 greens and took 29 putts.

“Yeah, I missed like a few putts leading up, but as I got to the back nine my ball striking was kind of bad,” she said, “so I didn’t give myself very many chances.

“I kind of stayed strong and finished at even.”

Minjee Lee paces the field at 8 under with World No. 1 Jin Young Ko one back.

Davis has a busy summer lined up thanks to her big win at Augusta. She also has an invite to the Cognizant Founders Cup next month as well as the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, Amundi Evian Masters and AIG Women’s British Open at Muirfield. Davis said she’ll fill in other events around the majors.

The high school sophomore wore her signature bucket hat Thursday at Palos Verdes, making her easy to spot.

“I’ll walk around and some of the girls will recognize me and they’ll say congrats,” said Davis. “That’s kind of funny.”

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