Anna Davis Misses Augusta National Women's Amateur Cut After Four Stroke Penalty

The defending champion's 1st hole penalty ultimately cost her a chance of playing in the final round at Augusta National

Anna Davis plays a shot during the Augusta National Women's Amateur
Davis would have comfortably made the cut without the four stroke penalty
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Defending champion Anna Davis agonisingly missed the cut by two strokes after 36-holes of the Augusta National Women's Amateur, with her four stroke penalty ultimately sending her home early.

The 17-year-old mistakenly played preferred lies in the rough twice on her opening hole at Champions Retreat, venue for the first two days, and her two-round total of four-over-par was two short of the cut mark.

Had she not been penalised, Davis would be at level-par for 36-holes and sitting in T14th position heading into Saturday's final round at Augusta.

Luckily for the Californian, who has a verbal agreement to play her collegiate golf in Auburn, Alabama, she will get to return to the scene of her 2022 ANWA victory as all competitors will get to play Augusta National in a practice round on Friday.

Saturday will see World No.1 amateur Rose Zhang take a five stroke lead into the final round, with the Stanford sophomore at 13-under-par thanks to rounds of 66 and 65 over the first two days. Her 13-under total is eight better than the previous 36-hole tournament record set by Jennifer Kupcho in 2019.

Rose Zhang hits a shot during the Augusta National Women's Amateur

Stanford's Rose Zhang looks poised to take the title on Saturday

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Zhang is the only player in the short history of the ANWA to make it to the final round at Augusta National all four years.

“I'm just super blessed to be in this kind of position,” the 19-year-old said. 

“I know that it's very rare, and I believe that it's just something that to keep in mind that no matter what happens, I'm always super proud of everything that I've accomplished thus far. The job's not done yet. We still have to go out there and play a good round [on Saturday].”

University of Mississippi senior Andrea Lignell is in second-place at eight-under-par with Jenny Bae, playing in her home state of Georgia, one further back.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV