EVANS, Ga. — Megha Ganne set the Augusta Nationwide Girls’s Novice report on Wednesday with a 9-under 63 at Champions Retreat, giving her a two-shot lead over defending champion Lottie Woad.
The scoring was decrease than typical at Champions Retreat, the place the opening two rounds are held earlier than the highest 30 who make the minimize play the ultimate spherical at Augusta Nationwide, which hosts the Masters subsequent week.
The climate was heat and turf was nonetheless comparatively mushy, and Ganne took benefit with a bogey-free spherical. Taking part in early and beginning on the again, the Stanford junior ran off three straight birdies early and saved par with an 18-foot putt on the fifth gap, her 14th of the day.
The one disappointment for her was a three-putt par on the par-5 ninth gap.
“Consider it or not, I had a dream final evening that I shot 61,” Ganne stated on Golf Channel. “I did not inform anybody. I did not need to set unhealthy omens within the air.”
And he or she almost obtained there till the three-putt on her last gap, although Ganne had few complaints. Her 63 broke by two photographs the mark earlier held by Rose Zhang, her former Stanford teammate who gained the ANWA two years in the past.
Woad greater than held her personal regardless of seeing such a low quantity on the board earlier than she even made the flip.
“I noticed she was at 9 below and thought I wanted to get one thing going,” Woad stated.
She had 4 birdies on the again 9, lacking out on one likelihood on the par-5 14th however making up for that with a 45-foot birdie putt on the fifteenth.
Nobody has gained again to again because the ANWA started in 2019 and shortly grew to become one of many premier newbie championships for ladies. Your complete subject will get a follow spherical on the dwelling of the Masters on Friday earlier than those that make the minimize play Augusta Nationwide for the title on Saturday.
Anna Davis, who gained the ANWA three years in the past at age 16 and now performs at Auburn, stated Ganne setting the tone early most likely contributed to the low scoring. For many gamers, the objective is to make the minimize and have an opportunity to compete at Augusta Nationwide.
“Now it isn’t, ‘Wish to make the minimize.’ It is simply making an attempt to catch her,” Davis stated after a 69.
Kiara Romero, Farah O’Keefe and Amanda Sambach have been every at 67. They have been amongst 29 gamers within the 71-player subject who broke par. U.S. Girls’s Novice champion Rianne Malixi needed to withdraw due to a again damage.
Ganne is enjoying the ANWA for the fifth time, having superior to the ultimate spherical every of the final two years. She has been round lengthy sufficient to appreciate there’s nonetheless a protracted highway forward.
“Take pleasure in at this time and take the remainder of the week because it comes,” Ganne stated. “However at this time was fairly particular.”
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