The Augusta National Women’s Amateur kicked off this morning, as Augusta National Chairmen, Fred Ridley announced Brooke Biermann to the tee. Biermann, the oldest player in the field at 23, striped her opening drive, and the tournament was underway.
Michigan State grad Brooke Biermann hit the first tee shot at the seventh edition of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Biermann plays a yellow golf ball to honor her late grandfather.
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) April 1, 2026
To learn more about the remarkable Biermann family, see the link below! pic.twitter.com/p2z2ruS7e5
It was a beautiful morning at Champions Retreat Golf Club, just 30 minutes away from Augusta National. It was the first taste of the Masters for many. While Champions Retreat may not offer the same expansive menu as Augusta National, staples like the pimento cheese sandwich and the famed peach ice cream cookie sandwich still gave patrons a proper introduction.
— claire rogers (@kclairerogers) March 31, 2026
For some players in the field, Wednesday’s opening round represented the culmination of a lifetime of hard work. Biermann, who hit the opening tee shot, delayed the start of her professional career just to for the opportunity to tee it up this week. For Emily Odwin, Wednesday’s round was about representing a whole region. Odwin, a Barbados native, is the first woman from the Carribean Islands to compete in the prestigious event.
The scoring started early this morning, and it started with Asterisk Talley. On her opening nine, she tallied three birdies, and one eagle, making the turn in a back-nine(started on 10) record 31. She added a birdie on her 12th hole, before closing with six straight pars, en route to a six under 66. Andrea Revuelta of Stanford and Vanessa Borovilos of Texas A&M both matched Talley’s six-under 66, but the crowded leaderboard doesn’t stop there.
Last year's runner-up continues to find success at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.#ANWAgolf pic.twitter.com/YJ1cfuPJTi
— Augusta National Women's Amateur (@anwagolf) April 1, 2026
The world’s 7th ranked amateur, Maria Jose Marin, carded a bogey-free, seven-under, 65, placing her in a tie for the lead. Her round today marks her lowest championship score across her four appearances at the ANWA. Tied with her at the top, is 17-year old Soomin Oh. Soomin, the game’s 10th ranked amateur, also carded a bogey free, seven-under, 65. Her round was highlighted by three straight birdies on holes 7, 8, and 9.
However, golf’s hard, and Champions Retreat wasn’t nice to everyone today.
6-time ANWA participant, and pre-tournament favorite, Megha Ganne shot 77, placing her in a tie for 63rd. She made back-to-back double bogeys on holes 3 and 4 to start her round, which ultimately proved to be too much to overcome. While her play may not have been to the level she would of hoped for, her attitude was. After her round, she walked right over to her fans, taking photos, signing autographs, and inspiring the next generation. And if there’s any player in the field that can bounce back after a disappointing round, it’s Ganne. Though she’ll need some of last year’s magic, when she fired a record-breaking nine-under 63 in her opening round.
Wednesday’s first round couldn’t have gone much better, but tomorrow is where it really starts to matter. Players near the top will jockey for position, while those near the cut line fight to make it to Saturday. With a Saturday tee time at Augusta National looming, every shot now carries a little more weight. Coverage is back on Golf Channel from 1:30 to 3:30, so be sure to tune in.
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