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Russia’s Anokhina, biggest underdog in the field, punches ticket to Augusta

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EVANS, Ga. – How does a golfer from Moscow, Russia, end up playing college golf in Flagstaff, Arizona?

In the case of Sofia Anokhina, it had nothing to do with Arizona and everything to do with the neighboring state to the west.

“California looked pretty in the movies and that was my biggest reason at 17 years old [for going to college], which wasn’t probably very smart,” said Anokhina, who grew up with a passion for music and dancing.

With a childhood dream of being close to Los Angeles and the glitz and glam of Hollywood, Anokhina went against her parents’ wishes and decided she was coming to the U.S. for college. She contacted Northern Arizona University, and after a few Skype calls with coach Brad Bedortha, Anokhina was sold.

Four years later and Anokhina, the Big Sky Player of the Year as a sophomore and now a senior transfer at Arizona State, is realizing another dream. She will compete at Augusta National after earning a spot in the 30-player final round for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur via an 11-for-10 playoff Thursday at Champions Retreat Golf Club.

One could consider Anokhina a late bloomer. She didn’t start taking golf seriously until age 13. Her instructor Dmitry Zakharov, who is also her caddie this week, inherited Anokhina as a 12-year-old beginner, but he saw plenty of potential. It just took a while for Anokhina to tap into it, and get out of, in her words, “Sofia world.”

Once she did that, her eyes were opened. Anokhina vividly remembers the first time she watched the Masters on television and saw the iconic and pristine Augusta National Golf Club. It was better than those Hollywood movies.

“Wow, that looks like the most perfect golf course out there,” Anokhina thought to herself.

Never did she believe she’d ever get to play it. That is until earlier this year, when Anokhina was announced as a committee selection for the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

But it was never enough for Anokhina to just be among the practice-round participants who will play Augusta National on Friday. No, she wanted to be competing on Saturday.


Full-field scores from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur


Fast forward to Thursday afternoon, and Anokhina was witnessing her chances of making the cut dwindle. She had opened the tournament in 5-over 77 and was 6 over, a few shots below the cut line, by the time she stepped on the seventh tee.

That’s when her boyfriend, Johnny Walker, showed up and delivered some timely motivation.

The par-4 seventh hole at Champions Retreat tips out at 245 yards, which makes the hole easily drivable. Walker, a sophomore on Arizona State’s ice hockey team and Division I’s leading goal scorer, also happens to wear the No. 7 jersey.

With so much pointing to something positive, Walker’s message was simple: “Eagle it.”

Anokhina hit her drive just over the green and faced a 60-foot downhill putt, which she hit with some pace. Moments later, the ball clanked against the flagstick and dropped for eagle.

“No. 7 just has to be lucky for me,” Anokhina said with an infectious smile.

She followed with even-par golf over her next 10 holes, and at the par-5 18th hole, her chances of making it to Saturday hung in the balance. It was down to a 6-foot birdie putt. Anokhina couldn’t quite figure out the break, so she did what she normally does in that situation: Hit it straight and hard.

“I wasn’t stressed or nervous or anxious at all,” Anokhina said. “It was just that confident, like, ‘I got it.’”

She did. Her 2-under 70 got her into the playoff, where she made par at No. 10 to advance.

“Such an emotional day,” Zakharov said. “To come here was amazing, for her and for Russia. But to now be playing the final [round] at Augusta National, it’s a dream come true for everyone.”

At No. 339 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking, the 21-year-old Russian was the lowest-ranked player in the 72-player field. She comes from a country where the game is essentially in its infancy and where weather only allows for a roughly four-month season. In many ways, Anokhina is this tournament’s biggest underdog and the most unlikely of final-round participants.

So how does a golfer from Moscow, Russia, end up competing at Augusta National?

“With a goal and with a dream and a picture and a vision in my head that I can do it,” Anokhina said. “I started golf pretty late. I feel like I’m still learning, but I have it in me.”