Augusta National Women’s Amateur: Defending Champion Penalized for Slow Play
Defending champion Anna Davis faces a setback at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur due to a one-stroke penalty for slow play, causing her to miss the cut. Discover the details of this rules infraction at the prestigious event.
Augusta National Women’s Amateur: Defending Champion Anna Davis Hit with One-Stroke Penalty for Slow Play
(BBC Golf, April 6, 2023) – In a disappointing turn of events at the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA), defending champion Anna Davis was assessed a one-stroke penalty for violating the tournament’s pace of play policy. The costly rules infraction moved the 16-year-old Auburn freshman from 3 over par to 4 over for the championship, ultimately leading to her missing the 36-hole cut and the chance to compete in Saturday’s final round at the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club.
The rules violation occurred during the second round at Champions Retreat Golf Club, where the first two rounds of the ANWA are contested. Davis and her playing partners, which included the 36-hole leader Lottie Woad, were repeatedly notified by officials that they were “out of position” and subsequently placed on the clock. According to the tournament’s pace of play policy, players are allotted 40 seconds to play a stroke, with an additional 10 seconds for the first player in the group.
Davis received her first bad time after her second stroke on the 5th hole and her second bad time following her second stroke on the 17th hole, leading to the one-stroke penalty being applied on the 17th hole.
“This is not the first time Davis has faced rules-related issues at the ANWA. At last year’s championship, the then-16-year-old was assessed a 4-shot penalty for incorrectly utilizing the ‘lift, clean and place’ rule while playing from the rough on her opening hole.”
Visibly distraught, Davis declined immediate media requests as she made her way to the parking lot with her father on Thursday afternoon. The defending champion’s early exit from the 2024 ANWA will undoubtedly be a disappointment, but the young golfer will undoubtedly use this experience to grow and come back stronger in future events.
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