AUGUSTA, Ga. – Standing on Augusta National’s 12th tee, hands trembling, Maria Fassi experienced that familiar dread over one of the most intimidating shots in golf.
“But I was like, ‘It’s a practice round – why are you shaking?’” Fassi said with a smile. “Just the amount of history that is out here, it’s amazing. We’re just really lucky to be out here.”
Both contenders and cut-line casualties were treated to a practice round Friday at the home of the Masters.
For those who missed the 36-hole cut at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur – they played the first two rounds at nearby Champions Retreat – it was arguably the greatest consolation prize in the world. Even after failing to qualify for the final day, Virginia Elena Carta beamed with pride as she walked off the course. “I shot 3 under today,” she said, “but I was like, Ugh, why today? So useless!”
The practice day proved more beneficial for leader Jennifer Kupcho and the other 29 players with a final-round tee time Saturday, as they battled competing desires to soak up the once-in-a-lifetime experience and also gather as much intel as possible.
Of course, it’s nearly impossible to learn the nuances of Augusta National in a single round – there’s a reason why a first-timer hasn’t won the Masters since 1979. So to help with the steep learning curve, players were required to take a local looper for their 18-hole stroll, even if their services wouldn’t be required for the final round.
Determining club selection on par 3s or plotting par-5 strategy might take only one loop, but getting a handle on Augusta’s notoriously tricky greens requires more experience than a father, college coach or swing instructor can provide.
And so – no surprise – there were plenty of eye-opening moments Friday, in what was a first look for many in the field.
Kupcho occasionally read the putt to break one direction but was told the opposite by her local caddie.
“I hit the putt,” she said, “and he was right.”
Playing from the back edge on the par-3 sixth, Sierra Brooks was warned that her putt was “lightning” fast, even going toward the middle tier.
“I’m like, Yeah, we’ll see what lightning really is,” Brooks replied.
And then she putted it off the green.
Fassi was advised that sometimes it’s more advantageous to miss the green than face a long putt from the wrong side.
“There were a few of those that he said, ‘I swear I’m not crazy,’” Fassi said. “And I said, ‘No, no, I believe you.’ He’s been here for 17 years, so it was really nice to get a caddie like him.”
Still, there was a sense that everyone here is in virtually the same predicament – so much to learn, so little time – and that only the best and smartest would prevail Saturday.
Full-field scores from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur
“You can learn as much as you can from one practice round, but there’s so many slopes and breaks and spots to hit,” Olivia Mehaffey said. “Nobody really knows this golf course.”
Nor does anybody really know what to expect in the final round.
Opinions vary on the type of scores that the best amateurs in the world will produce, though there’s a sentiment that Augusta National will be eager to showcase these players’ immense talents. The yardage (6,365) provides a stern test but also some scoring opportunities; Fassi, for instance, hit 4- and 6-irons into the par 5s.
“It’s hard to know how much the course is going to change (overnight),” Mehaffey said. “If they get the greens fast, with the pressure and the situation, I think someone coming from behind can race up that leaderboard.”
Don’t tell that to Kupcho – the top-ranked amateur in the world is hoping to go wire-to-wire at this inaugural event.
Kupcho added even more intrigue with her flat finish Thursday at Champions Retreat. Four clear at one point late in her second round, the reigning NCAA individual champion appeared poised to open up a huge advantage with some gettable holes remaining. Instead, she made a pair of late bogeys to finish at 5-under 139, just one shot clear.
“I think I was just overthinking,” she said. “Today I just went out there and played like I normally do.”
Also in the final pairing is Fassi, the Arkansas senior and 2018 Annika Award winner, an explosive player who led the field in driving distance by a whopping 16 yards.
Kupcho and Fassi have followed a similar path this year – both returned for their senior seasons and earned LPGA cards but deferred membership until June – and are good friends, but when they get inside the ropes at 10:20 a.m. Saturday, with so much on the line?
“It’s going to be a war out there,” Fassi said, “but it’s going to be a friendly war. We’re all a part of history tomorrow, but the winner even more so.”
Another shot back is a trio of decorated collegians (Florida’s Brooks, Kent State’s Pimnipa Panthong and Texas’ Kaitlyn Papp), with just seven players under par after 36 holes.
Only eight shots separate first and last place – the same deficit that Jack Burke Jr. overcame in the 1956 Masters, the largest final-round comeback in tournament history.
“Eight shots, the difference, that’s nothing,” Mehaffey said. “All 30 players in reality are in contention for the tournament.”
Ready or not, the best women’s amateurs in the world are primed to put on a historic show.