Written by: Khushi Gupta

 

It is an immensely proud moment for India to yet again lift up its chin as the Indian amateur Avani Prashanth, the 15-year-old Bengalurean gets invited to the Augusta National Women's Amateur held in the USA from 30th March to the 2nd of April. Avani, who shot a bogey-free eight-under at the KGA in the last season will now be among the 75 players who are the best in their category from all around the world and will be playing the three round tournament. The first 2 rounds will be at the Champions Retreat Golf Course and the last round will be held at the Augusta National Golf Club that also hosts the Masters Tournament. The whole tournament’s monetary requirements are covered by the organisers and therefor this trip will be a free one for the players who are participating along with the one person accompanying those players. The Masters is the youngest of the four majors that’s played on the same golf course year after year.
 

Avani Prashanth Playing Golf

 

It was not before 2019 that Augusta National had started to let women participate in its tournaments. Before that, it was only in 2012 that it first allowed Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore as its first female members in its team. Avani received the official invite, signed by the Chairman Fred S Ridley, on Tuesday from the Boar of Governers of The Augusta National Golf Club.

 

Avani, who is still in Greenwood High International School, is in class ninth right now and is still hard at her studies. Yet, being this young and taking golf to be her serious passion, she is still looking forward to making her country proud and to setting her permanent mark when it comes to the sport of golf. Playing this tournament in the USA, will not be getting her any ranking as such, but it will make sure that the winner will be getting a free pass to the next five Augusta Women Armatures which includes the 2022 US Women’s Open, the 2022 Women’s British Open, and any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships.

 

Avani has rightfully made this place for herself in this tournament as she has not only proved her worth in tournaments past where she grabbed the first place in the strokeplay and matchplay titles in All-India Armature Championship and All-India Junior Championship but also finished 16^th in the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Golf Championship.

Avani Prashanth

 

“When the season started, my aim was to play more on the professional circuit because good performances there gave me valuable ranking points in the World Amateur Golf Ranking,” Avani said to the DH on Sunday. “I’d played on the pro circuit earlier and come close to winning the previous season, so I was very confident of doing well. When I won at Bombay Presidency, I knew I can succeed at the pro level. I was able to go toe to toe with the pros and that gave me lots of confidence and self-belief. I just kept riding on the momentum and I’m glad all my hard work during the pre-season, which was badly affected by the Covid pandemic, is bearing fruit. I’m now focussed on bettering it next year.”

 

“I’m really excited to go there. Firstly, it is The Masters venue, and then I will also be competing with the best amateurs in the world. It can’t get any better than this,” she continued to quote, “I wanted to play the tournament but wasn’t expecting to get an invite. It feels amazing. Even in my wildest dreams I wouldn’t have thought I’d be invited for this prestigious event. If I just play my natural game and if my putting works too, then I’m capable of winning the tournament,”

 

It is always a moment to look forward to when such young professionals go out undeterred to reach such great heights and are pushed to do better than is expected out of them by all those who are around. Avani Prashanth who is going towards her goals with the speed of the wind will not fail in her courage and will continue to make her country proud as she will in the future, too continue to play more and more of the tournaments. Paramjit Singh, who is an IGU-certified freelance rules official and had been watching Avani play since she was only but seven years old, was elated and continued to say, “I’ve seen several kids on the junior and amateur circuit and Avani is special. So many people started taking about Aditi after the Tokyo Olympics, very soon you’ll have people talking about Avani also. Not only is she extremely talented but hard-working, dedicated and driven to win.”