16-year-old Anna Davis emerged as a surprise winner in the third Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) yesterday, carding a closing 69 for a one-shot victory over fellow American Latanna Stone and Ingrid Lindblad of Sweden.

“I’m still a little shocked. I don’t think it’s processed that I won here. It’s pretty surreal, to be honest. I’m pretty speechless. I can’t even fathom what just happened,” said the left-handed Davis, who finished with a three-round total of one-under-par 215 after two rounds at Champions Retreat Golf Club and the final round at the revered Augusta National Golf Club.

A high school sophomore from Spring Valley, California, Davis started the final day two strokes off the lead and played with a composure that belied her young age. She offset a lone bogey at the third hole with four birdies, including two in a row at Amen Corner at the par-three 12th and the par-five 13th.

Team-mates at Louisiana State University, both Lindblad and Stone made charges up the leaderboard. Playing ahead of Davis and Stone, the long-hitting Lindblad eagled the par-five 8th and par-five 15th to take the lead on one-under-par. However, a bogey on 18 after driving into a fairway bunker left her one short despite shooting the low round of the day, 68.

Stone, the 36-hole co-leader and playing in the final pairing, birdied 12 and 13 to get to two-under-par and added another birdie at the par-three 16th to take a two-shot lead. However, a messy double bogey on 17 after flying the green with her approach shot and a closing bogey from the trees for a round of 72 forced her to settle for joint second.

Davis, who had finished earlier and was watching on TV, then realized she had won. “I wasn’t expecting it but I was more nervous watching her than playing my round out there!

"I’ve never experienced quite a large crowd like that and I’m going to cherish it forever," said Davis, one of 50 first-timers in the field and who had never stepped foot on Augusta National until Friday's practice round. 

Provided she remains an amateur, as ANWA champion Davis will receive invitations to this year's US Women’s Open and Women’s British Open, and any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships for which she is eligible for one year, as well the next five editions of the ANWA.

Davis joins a distinguished list of ANWA champions in compatriot Jennifer Kupcho who won the inaugural event in 2019 and Japan's Tsubasa Kajitani who won in 2021 after the tournament took a one-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. One week after Kajitini won, the Japanese mastery of Augusta National continued when Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters Tournament.

The ANWA was inaugurated by Augusta National Golf Club in 2019 and features an elite 72-player field competing over 54 holes the week before the Masters. While only the final round is played at Augusta National, the entire field gets to play the revered golf course in Friday's official practice round.

For more information and the full results, go to anwagolf.com