Megha during Round 1 of the 2025 ANWA
Indian-heritage amateur golfer Megha Ganne delivered a historic performance at the prestigious Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA), carding a bogey-free 9-under 63 to seize the first-round lead and set a new tournament scoring record. The Stanford University 3rd-year student surged to a two-stroke advantage over defending champion and World No. 1 Amateur Lottie Woad of England, besting the previous tournament low of 65 set by former Stanford teammate Rose Zhang in 2023.
The Silver Sterling Trophy, awarded to the champion of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur
Since its inception in 2019, the ANWA has brought together the world’s top female amateurs for a 54-hole stroke play championship. This year’s event, held from April 2-5, features an international field of 71 players. The first two rounds take place at Champions Retreat Golf Club with the final round at the iconic Augusta National Golf Club, with all players participating in a practice round there on April 4.
The 21-year-old New Jersey native, born to Indian parents Sudha and Hari Ganne, has long been a standout in the amateur ranks. She first captured headlines in 2021 at age 17 when she fired an opening-round 67 to briefly hold the lead at the U.S. Women’s Open, eventually finishing as the low amateur at T-14.
Ranked No. 12 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Ganne was tempted to turn professional, but she chose to pursue college golf at Stanford, following the path of past ANWA champions and top amateurs.
Megha’s record-breaking round comes in her fifth ANWA appearance, having previously made the final round at Augusta National in both 2022 and 2023, where she recorded a best finish of T-9.
The only Indian golfer to receive an ANWA invitation is Ladies European Tour (LET) rookie Avani Prashanth, who competed in 2022 and 2024, finishing T-21 in her first appearance before missing the cut last year.
The second round continues Thursday at Champions Retreat. Following the cut, the final 30 players and ties will compete at Augusta National on April 5 in pursuit of one of amateur golf’s most coveted titles.
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