Avani with her father M.S. Prashanth at the venue
This week 15 year old All India Ladies Champion, Avani Prashanth will make history by becoming the first female Indian golfer to play at Augusta National in Georgia, home of The Masters, at the prestigious Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Avani has played 3 practice rounds at Champions Retreat where the first two rounds of this 54-hole stroke play event will be played, featuring 72 of the top women amateurs from around the world. The top 30 players after 36 holes get into the final round at Augusta National.
The winner of the tournament receives invitations to the next five Augusta National Women Amateurs, that year’s U.S. Women’s Open and Women’s British Open, and any USGA, R&A, and PGA of America amateur events for which she is otherwise eligible for one year, providing she remains an amateur.
Avani has received some valuable advice from PGA Tour player Anirban Lahiri on a long call last week and has secured the services of a highly experienced caddy from Augusta, to improve her chances. The greens at Champions Retreat have been recently relaid and are firm and fast requiring careful planning. Last week Prashanth shot 70-73-73 (even-par 216) to finish tied-6th at the elite Sage Valley Invitational event in South Carolina which served as a perfect warm up event for the Augusta Women’s.
Avani has attracted a lot of attention from the top college golf coaches during the Sage Valley event last week and has struck up a friendship with Indian American sensation Megha Ganne who led the US Women’s Open starting the final round last June.