How To Qualify For The Augusta National Women’s Amateur

The Augusta National Women's Amateur is one of the jewels of the women's game, but how do players qualify?

Augusta National Women’s Amateur
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The Augusta National Women's Amateur may have only been around since 2019 but it's already one of the premier events in women's golf.

The ANWA, as it's known as, takes place just before The Masters and sees a field of the best female amateur golfers in the world competing over 54 holes of strokeplay.

The opening two rounds take place at Champions Retreat Golf Club just outside of Augusta, before the top 30 after a cut are rewarded with a trip down Magnolia Lane for the final 18 holes.

As well as joining an exclusive club of winning at Augusta National, the ANWA champion gets into the US Women’s Open and AIG Women’s Open, along with any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur events for which they are otherwise eligible.

But how do you qualify for the ANWA?

How do players qualify for the ANWA?

As with The Masters, Augusta National officials hand out special invites for international amateurs they feel will improve the field and showcase the best of the game throughout the world.

There are set criteria though, such as previous winners of the ANWA getting five-year exemptions to return, as long as they retain their amateur status of course.

Reigning Amateur and US Amateur champions qualify along with amateur champions from around the world and the top college and junior champions.

Following that, we turn to the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking for the top 30 Americans and then the top 30 international players not otherwise qualified who secure their spots.

Qualification criteria for an invite to the ANWA

  • Reigning US Women's Amateur Champion
  • Reigning Women’s Amateur Champion
  • Reigning Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Champion
  • Reigning Girls' Amateur Champion
  • Reigning US Girls' Junior Champion
  • Reigning Girls Junior PGA Champion
  • Reigning NCAA Division I Women’s Individual Champion
  • Previous ANWA champions of the last five years
  • The top 30 Americans from the previous year's final Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking not otherwise qualified
  • The top 30 Americans from the previous year's final Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking not otherwise qualified
  • Special invitations from the Augusta National Women's Amateur Committee
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Paul Higham
Paul Higham
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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