Evans, Ga. — Megagun set the Augusta National Women’s Amateur record on Wednesday, scoring a 9-under 63 in the Champions Retreat, leading defending champion Lotty Wood two-shot.
At the Champions Retreat, the scoring was lower than usual. There will be a two-round opening round before the top 30 playing cuts at Augusta National, which will host the Masters next week.
The weather was warm, the grass was still relatively soft, and Ganne used it in a round without bogies. Playing early and starting out in the back, Stanford juniors ran off three straight birdies early and saved pars with an 18-foot putt in the fifth hole.
Her only disappointment was a three-putt par on the par 5, 9th hole.
“Believe it or not, I had a dream of shooting a 61 last night,” Gunne said on the Golf Channel. “I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to set any bad harbingers in the air.”
And she got there to the final hole three putt, but Ganne had little complaints. Her 63 defeated the previous mark, held by former Stanford teammate Rose Chan, who won two years ago at Anwa, in two shots.
She held herself despite seeing such a low number on the board before she made her turn.
“I saw her under nine and thought I needed to do something,” Woad said.
She had four birdies on the back nine and missed one chance in par 5 14th place, but made up for it on the 15th with a 45-foot birdie putt.
No one has been in a row since ANWA began in 2019. The entire field will win a practice round at the Masters’ home on Friday.
Anna Davis, who won Anwa at the age of 16 three years ago and now plays for Auburn, said Ganne set the tone early. For most players, the goal is to make a cut and get the opportunity to compete at Augusta National.
“Not now. I want to make a cut,” Davis said after the age of 69.
Kiara Romero, Farah O’Keefe and Amanda Sambach were 67 years old each. They were one of 29 players on the 71 field. US women’s amateur champion Lianne Marixi had to withdraw due to a back injury.
Ganne is playing ANWA for the fifth time and has made it to the final round of the past two years. She was long enough to realize she still had a long way to go.
“Enjoy today and take the rest of this week,” Gunne said. “But today was pretty special.”