TAMPA, Fla. – The azaleas are blooming and the birds are chirping at Augusta National, which means it is that time of year once again. The Masters Tournament is arguably the most famous and sought after week in golf, for the players and the fans.
However, since 2018, one of the most sought after women’s amateur events is played the week before the Masters: The Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). This event consists of an international field made up of 72 amateur female golfers that compete for the title over 54-holes of stroke play.
The first 36 holes take place on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta. The field is cut to the top 30 players and ties to play the final round at Augusta National. This year, the Florida State Golf Association will have eight players in the field: Gianna Clemente, Maisie Filler, Kendall Griffin, Maria Jose Marin, Megan Schofill, Kaitlyn Schroeder, Bailey Shoemaker and Latanna Stone.
Clemente, Filler, Griffin and Schroeder will make their ANWA debut. Shoemaker and Stone will be returning for the second time and Schofill will be making her third appearance.
The first two rounds of the Augusta National Women's Amateur will be broadcasted on Golf Channel from 1:30-3:30 p.m. (EDT), with the final round being shown on NBC from 12-3:30 p.m. (EDT).
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Gianna Clemente | Estero
This may be Clemente’s first appearance playing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, however it is not her first appearance at August National. In 2017, she was a Drive, Chip and Putt National Finalist, which is held at Augusta National each year.
Clemente had a stand-out season in 2022. She secured a runner-up finish at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at The Club at Olde Stone in Kentucky. In addition, she secured another runner-up finish at the AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship and reached match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Clemente, at only 14 years old, become the youngest player to Monday qualify for three consecutive LPGA Tour events. She also won three World Amateur Golf Ranking events.
She has already had a good start to 2023 with a tied-for-eighth finish at the Girls Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in South Carolina, a top-20 finish at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, the Epson Tour’s first event of the year, and she also secured a top-25 finish at the Annika Invitational.
Clemente, a three-time junior All-American, has an impressive record with the Florida Junior Tour as well capturing four wins over her career. In 2019, she competed in five events and never finished outside of the top three.
Maisie Filler | Palm Beach Gardens
A junior at the University of Florida, Filler is set to make her first appearance at the ANWA at the end of March.
Filler’s FSGA highlights include a runner-up finish at the 93rd Women’s Amateur Championship last June. She also had a remarkable junior career including a tied-for-fifth finish at the Girls’ Junior Amateur and made an appearance at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, as well as the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
Her college career has followed suit including a second-place finish and six top-15 finishes during her sophomore season at UF. Filler has also collected five top-30 finishes out of her eight starts this past season. Filler has also competed in two LPGA events and made the cut in the Shoprite LPGA Classic in 2022.
Kendall Griffin | Sebring
Griffin, the assistant golf coach at the University of Indiana, will make her first appearance at the ANWA at the end of March. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 2021 and then continued to play a fifth season at the University of Louisville, where she earned a master’s degree in sports administration.
Griffin had an outstanding college career. While at Louisville, she collected two runner-up finishes at the 2021 Illini Women’s Invitational and the 2022 Moon Golf Invitational. She also captured a tied-for-third finish at the 2022 ACC Women’s Championship and as well as earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors.
During her time at LSU, Griffin was a four-time All-American Scholar. In addition, she also secured a tied-for-fifth finish at the 2021 SEC Women’s Championship and a third-place finish at the 209 LSU Tiger Golf Classic.
A remarkable junior career with the Florida Junior Tour preluded her success in college. Griffin’s FJT career was highlighted by capturing the victory at the 2013 Girls’ Junior and in addition was the Girls (13-15) Points Champion in 2013. She had further success with the FSGA when she became the 2021 Women’s Amateur Champion after defeating Elle Nachmann in the finals. She also captured the victory at the 2019 Women’s Amateur Stroke Play.
In addition to her success with the FSGA, Griffin also has had several appearances in USGA events. She reached the quarterfinals of the 2016 U.S. Girls’ Junior, the semifinals of the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner, Kathleen Gallagher. Most recently, Griffin along with her partner, Nachmann, advanced to quarterfinals in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball.
Maria Jose Marin | Winter Garden
Marin is set to make her ANWA debut this week. Marin's FSGA highlights include a victory at the Junior Amateur Match Play Championship in 2021. The Colombia native fired round of 69-66 to earn medalist honors before going on to win four matches to take home the win at Lemon Bay Golf Club.
The University of Arkansas commit earned the win at the 2023 Mexican Women's Amateur Championship and is also a two-time South America Girls Junior champion (2021, 2022). The 16-year-old is ranked No. 43 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and reached the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.
Megan Schofill | Monticello
An Auburn University senior, Schofill is set to make her third appearance at the ANWA. She has already started out her senior season in style capturing her third individual collegiate win at the Mason Rudolph Championship and collecting six top-20 finishes of seven starts. In addition, Schofill earned Honorable Mention All-American honors and secured a runner-up finish at the SEC Women’s Championship in 2021. Her other two individual collegiate titles came in 2020 at the Lake Oconee Invitational and the Liz Murphey Fall Collegiate Classic.
Schofill’s game shined bright in 2020. Not only did she win the 91st Women’s Amateur Championship but she was also named the FSGA Women’s Player of the Year. She also advanced to the quarterfinals of the North & South Women’s Amateur and represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup.
Other career highlights for Schofill include earning Junior All-American honors two times, advancing to the 2021 semifinals and the 2022 finals of the North & South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst No.2.
Kaitlyn Schroeder | Jacksonville
Kaitlyn Schroeder is in her first year at the University of Alabama and will be making her first appearance at the ANWA at the end of this month. She has had an exceptional junior career, which most recently includes accolades ike winning the 2022 Girls Junior PGA and being named the 2022 AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Player or the Year. She also captured a runner-up finish at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Four-Ball with partner, Bailey Shoemaker and was a member of the 2021 U.S. Solheim Cup team.
Schroeder is well-known at the Florida State Golf Association, as she was named the 2019 FJT (13-15) Girls Points Champion. She also captured two consecutive wins at the Girls’ Junior Championship in 2019 and 2020. Schroeder also captured a top-20 finish at the Florida Women’s Open and teamed up with Lauren Clark to secure a runner-up finish at the Women’s Four-Ball Championship in 2020.
Bailey Shoemaker | Dade City
Shoemaker will head to the ANWA for the second time at the end of this month, but it is her third visit to August National. In 2018, Shoemaker was a Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finalist.
The University of Southern California signee has started out 2023 with tied-for-fourth finish at the Girls Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, and a tied-for-fifth finish at the Kathy Whitworth Invitational. Shoemaker also made the cut and secured a top-30 finish in the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic.
Shoemaker played some remarkable rounds in 2022, which subsequently led to prestigious titles. She captured the victory at the 93rd Women’s Amateur Championship, captured her second consecutive title at the Kathy Whitworth Invitational, earned FSGA Women’s and Girls’ Player of the Year honors.
The Dade City resident advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, made the cut in all three of her LPGA Tour starts including the U.S. Women’s Open, and captured a runner-up finish with partner, Schroeder at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball.
Shoemaker also secured a third-place finish at the 2021 Florida Women’s Open and advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. Other career highlights include winning the 2018 FJT Tour Championship and the 2020 Women’s Four-ball Championship with partner, Madison Hewlett.
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Latanna Stone | Riverview
A senior at LSU, Stone is set to make her second appearance at the ANWA and her third at Augusta National. In 2014, Stone competed in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta.
In 2022, Stone made the cut, reached the final round at Augusta National, and secured a second-place finish at the ANWA. She ultimately fell short of the win by one stroke to Anna Davis.
Stone captured her first collegiate individual win this season at the Nexus Collegiate Invitational and she secured a runner-up finish at the Green Wave fall classic. The Riverview native had an eventful summer last year, representing the United States in both the Curtis Cup and the Arnold Palmer Cup and advanced to match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
Her FSGA career highlights include capturing a top-30 finish at the 2020 Florida Women’s Open and capturing the victory at the 2017 Girls’ Junior Championship.
