Augusta, Ga. — Anna Davis, the only former champion in the 2024 Augusta National women’s amateur field, was assessed a one-stroke penalty for slow play Thursday. The costly rules violation dropped Davis from 3 over par to 4 over in the championship, meaning she will miss the 36-hole cut and, therefore, Saturday’s final round at Augusta National.
The first two rounds of ANWA are being played at Champions Retreat Golf Club, where Davis’ rules violation took place Thursday. All competitors have the chance to compete in a practice round at Augusta National on Friday.
Rules officials informed Davis and his playing partners multiple times that they were “out of position,” in accordance with the tournament’s pace of play policy. That’s when the group – which includes 36-hole leader Lottie Woad – was officially put on the clock.
According to the tournament’s pace of play policy, a player is allowed 40 seconds to make a move, and an additional 10 seconds if they are the first player to play.
ANWA tournament headquarters released the following statement on Davis’ violation of the rules.
“Anna Davis was assessed a one-stroke penalty for violating the tournament’s pace of play policy. Her group, which included Lottie Woad and Maria Jose Marin, were informed that they were out of position several times during their second round,” the statement said. “While being timed, Davis received her first bad time after playing her second shot on hole No. 5 and received her second bad time after her second shot on hole No. 17. She was then given a one-stroke penalty, which was applied on hole No. 17. hole n°17.
Davis, who won ANWA in 2022 at just 16 years old, was also involved in a rules violation during the 2023 championship. The lifting, cleaning and placing rules – which allow players to wipe their ball in wet conditions – were in effect during the first round of ANWA last year. Davis, not knowing that the rule only allowed players to clean their balls in “closely mown areas” like the fairway, mistakenly used the rule twice while playing from the rough on her first hole. She was given a 4-shot penalty and ultimately missed the cut.
The Auburn freshman was upset as she walked to the parking lot with her father Thursday afternoon at Champions Retreat. When asked if she would answer some questions from the media, she replied, “Maybe later,” trying to smile through her tears.
Required reading
(Anna Davis Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images)