Pretty cool. First year this event has existed. It'll be the weekend before the Master's. Full release below:
COLUMBIA, MO. – University of Missouri junior women’s golfer Jessica Yuen (Bolingbrook, Ill.) has received and accepted an invitation to compete in the first-ever Augusta National Women’s Amateur event, to be held April 3-6 in Augusta, Ga.
The international field of 72 women amateurs will compete over 54 holes of stroke play, with a cut after the first two rounds. The first 36 holes will be contested over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, April 3-4. The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round April 5. The final round will take place at Augusta National on Saturday, April 6 and will feature the top 30 competitors who made the cut. The final round on April 6 will be featured with three hours of live coverage on NBC Sports, with online coverage available all week at www.ANWAgolf.com.
Yuen, who was initially an alternate for the field, formally received an invite yesterday after another competitor had to withdraw due to an injury. She was driving to St. Louis yesterday to see her family when she got a surprise message from tournament organizers to call her back immediately.
“I was in complete shock when they said they were inviting me to play,” said Yuen. “I knew I was on their radar when the field was set back in January, but I’d honestly assumed it wasn’t a possibility anymore. It took me some time to process what this actually meant, and then when it hit me I was going a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out if I could make it work. Our team has a tournament this next week in Dallas (April 1-2 at The Bruzzy), and I’d never want to leave them hanging, but I couldn’t do both of these events. I called Coop (Head Coach Stephanie Priesmeyer) and (Assistant Coach) Mindy (Coyle) to talk with them and they said I had to do this, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that,” she said.
While Yuen was initially torn on the possibility of missing a tournament with her Mizzou teammates, Priesmeyer said the decision was a prototypical “no-brainer.”
“What an amazing opportunity for Jess and for the Mizzou program,” said Priesmeyer. “Mindy and I had zero hesitation telling her that she had to accept the invite. I told her if she didn’t accept it, that I’d pretend I was her and go play in her place,” she joked. “We’re so excited for Jess and her family, we know she will represent Mizzou with class and grace,” she said.
Yuen was an All-SEC performer last year as a sophomore for the Tigers, and earned an individual bid to the NCAA Championships, becoming only the second Tiger in program history to qualify for the championship finals. She finished the tournament in a tie for 57th, marking the highest-ever finish by a Tiger at the finals.
Yuen led Mizzou with a 71.29 stroke average in the fall, and has been battling a wrist injury in the spring, but she said she’ll be ready for the Augusta tournament.
“I know I haven’t been at my best this spring, but I feel like I’m close,” Yuen said. “In the end I knew I couldn’t pass this up. I’m so excited and honored to be invited. I can’t wait,” she said.
For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Golf, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MUWomensGolf) and on Facebook at MizzouWomensGolf.
COLUMBIA, MO. – University of Missouri junior women’s golfer Jessica Yuen (Bolingbrook, Ill.) has received and accepted an invitation to compete in the first-ever Augusta National Women’s Amateur event, to be held April 3-6 in Augusta, Ga.
The international field of 72 women amateurs will compete over 54 holes of stroke play, with a cut after the first two rounds. The first 36 holes will be contested over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, April 3-4. The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round April 5. The final round will take place at Augusta National on Saturday, April 6 and will feature the top 30 competitors who made the cut. The final round on April 6 will be featured with three hours of live coverage on NBC Sports, with online coverage available all week at www.ANWAgolf.com.
Yuen, who was initially an alternate for the field, formally received an invite yesterday after another competitor had to withdraw due to an injury. She was driving to St. Louis yesterday to see her family when she got a surprise message from tournament organizers to call her back immediately.
“I was in complete shock when they said they were inviting me to play,” said Yuen. “I knew I was on their radar when the field was set back in January, but I’d honestly assumed it wasn’t a possibility anymore. It took me some time to process what this actually meant, and then when it hit me I was going a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out if I could make it work. Our team has a tournament this next week in Dallas (April 1-2 at The Bruzzy), and I’d never want to leave them hanging, but I couldn’t do both of these events. I called Coop (Head Coach Stephanie Priesmeyer) and (Assistant Coach) Mindy (Coyle) to talk with them and they said I had to do this, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that,” she said.
While Yuen was initially torn on the possibility of missing a tournament with her Mizzou teammates, Priesmeyer said the decision was a prototypical “no-brainer.”
“What an amazing opportunity for Jess and for the Mizzou program,” said Priesmeyer. “Mindy and I had zero hesitation telling her that she had to accept the invite. I told her if she didn’t accept it, that I’d pretend I was her and go play in her place,” she joked. “We’re so excited for Jess and her family, we know she will represent Mizzou with class and grace,” she said.
Yuen was an All-SEC performer last year as a sophomore for the Tigers, and earned an individual bid to the NCAA Championships, becoming only the second Tiger in program history to qualify for the championship finals. She finished the tournament in a tie for 57th, marking the highest-ever finish by a Tiger at the finals.
Yuen led Mizzou with a 71.29 stroke average in the fall, and has been battling a wrist injury in the spring, but she said she’ll be ready for the Augusta tournament.
“I know I haven’t been at my best this spring, but I feel like I’m close,” Yuen said. “In the end I knew I couldn’t pass this up. I’m so excited and honored to be invited. I can’t wait,” she said.
For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Golf, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MUWomensGolf) and on Facebook at MizzouWomensGolf.
