2026 Augusta National Women's Amateur Preview

The seventh edition of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur begins today. The best female amateurs have descended on Champions Retreat for the tournament’s first two rounds before the grand finale Saturday at Augusta National. It will be there, on the grandest stage in golf, that one young player’s life will be changed forever. That’s not hyperbole, that’s simply the power of Augusta National.

You can see signs of the importance and magnitude of ANWA in a number of ways. Special Augusta-themed bags, headcovers, shoes, and hats can be spotted on nearly all of the top players. The TV coverage rivals that of a major championship with a three-hour final-round window on NBC. The equipment manufacturers line up their trucks just off Magnolia Lane (a rare sight for any women’s amateur tournament), standing at the ready to help players make any last-minute adjustments. The first roars at Augusta will come on Saturday from the thousands of patrons on the grounds, the largest crowds that most of the competitors have ever played in front of.

Those are the visible and obvious signs of ANWA’s significance. The unseen preparation and work from players, coaches, and staff tell an even clearer story of how seriously this event is taken. Take Carla Bernat Escuder, last year’s ANWA champion, for example.

Kansas State head coach Stew Burke adjusted the team’s schedule before ANWA to set Bernat Escuder up for success. “We were looking for an event on the schedule. We knew she was going to ANWA,” said Burke. “We scheduled an event at an Alister MacKenzie-designed golf course prior to ANWA that we felt would help her best prepare.”

That tournament was the Silicon Valley Showcase at Green Hills Country Club. Bernat Escuder and K-State finished T-3 and second, respectively.

Bernat Escuder and Burke also worked with Callaway after her first ANWA appearance in 2022, where she missed the cut. “We were like, here’s the problem,” Burke explained. “She doesn’t hit the ball high enough. It’s not a technical issue.” Callaway tinkered with her equipment, and “that was the start of a pretty awesome relationship.”

That relationship continued with Mary Janiga Kartes, a LPGA representative for Callaway, who helped Bernat Escuder fine-tune things before last year’s championship. “We prepped and talked beforehand if there’s anything we need to work on. We looked at some 3-woods, but really just checked in prior to ANWA.” Kartes was on site for Bernat Escuder’s victory and joined her in getting celebratory ANWA tattoos.

There is, of course, the time and work players put into their own games to prepare for ANWA. Burke credited Bernat Escuder’s work ethic as the main driver behind her win last year. The extras — schedule adjustments and equipment tweaks — are evidence that no stone goes unturned when ANWA comes around. Every player, coach, and staff member works for the slightest advantage that may give them the edge in golf’s premier amateur event.

Little Star Primed for Big Win

The name most casual golf fans will recognize in this year’s ANWA field is Asterisk Talley. That’s partly due to her one-of-a-kind first name, but it can mostly be attributed to Talley rising up leaderboards at some of the biggest events in women’s golf. Two years ago, Talley was T-5 heading into the weekend at the U.S. Women’s Open as a 15-year-old. She would add to her impressive 2024 season by becoming the first player to make it to the finals of three USGA championships, earning her first USGA title at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four Ball.

Last year, she brought the fireworks to the final round at ANWA when she eagled the first hole and quickly erased her two-shot deficit. Talley would settle for second behind Bernat Escuder, but it was yet another coming out party for the teenager. Coming into this year’s ANWA, Talley is the 10th-ranked amateur in the world, and her preparation has gone just about perfectly. She won the Junior Invitational earlier this month and held her own against the best players in the world at last week’s LPGA Ford Championship. The Stanford commit is poised to grab the biggest win of her already decorated junior career.

Additional Players to Watch

As is the case every year, the field at ANWA is stacked with talent. What’s unique about this year, though, is how many of the top players come into this week in great form. Kiara Romero, Paula Martin Sampedro, Andrea Revuelta, Farah O’Keefe, and Maria Jose Marin all rank in the top 10 of WAGR and have all won individual collegiate titles this year. Talley may be the frontrunner, but expect Saturday to bring another ANWA finish that goes down to the wire.