Sambach named to 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Field

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

golfVirginia women’s golf signee Amanda Sambach (Davidson, N.C.) will participate in the 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The tournament will take place March 31-April 3 in Augusta, Ga.

Originally announced in 2018, this will be the second time the event has been held. The 2020 tournament was postponed due to the pandemic. All players who were selected for that field were invited to the 2021 event as long as they retained their amateur status.

Sambach, one of the nation’s top junior golfers, signed a national letter of intent with UVA last fall. She received an invitation to the field for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in January of 2020 thanks to her amateur ranking at the time.

She has risen to as high as No. 3 in the American Junior Golf Association’s national rankings. Prior to signing with UVA, she had been ranked as high as No. 27 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and as high as No. 5 for American competitors. Last fall, she tied for seventh at the Symetra Tour Championship while playing with an amateur exemption. She was 11th at the event in 2019.

Sambach won the 2020 North & South Junior Championship at Pinehurst thanks to shooting 68 in the final round and went on to compete in the 2020 North & South Women’s Amateur and the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. A six-time American Junior Golf Association champion, she took medalist honors at the 2020 Fayetteville Open and shared the individual title at the 2020 Make-A-Wish Foundation Open.

At this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, an international field of women amateurs will compete over 54 holes of stroke play. A cut will take place after 36 holes, advancing the leading 30 players to the final round at Augusta National Golf Club. In the event of a tie after 54 holes, the winner will be decided by sudden-death playoff.

The first 36 holes will be contested over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., March 31 and April 1, 2021. The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round Friday, April 2. The final round will take place at Augusta National on Saturday, April 3 and will feature the top 30 competitors who made the cut.

NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours (Noon – 3 p.m. ET) of live final-round coverage of the event at Augusta National. Golf Channel will deliver on-site highlights, live reports and news coverage throughout the event. Additionally, Golf Channel’s “Live From the Masters” will commence on Friday, April 2 at Augusta National to provide coverage of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals and the Masters Tournament.

Former UVA standout Anna Redding competed in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur and advanced to the final round of competition. She had the honor of being the first woman to ever tee off at Augusta National Golf Club in a championship event.