You can’t picture a better finish at Augusta National.
Lottie Ward, a British woman who plays at Florida State University, is tied with Bailey Shoemaker at 7 under after 17 holes.
After hitting the fairway and hitting the green with a nice wedge shot on the 18th, Ward went for a 12-foot birdie for the win.
Meanwhile, Shoemaker sat nervous in the clubhouse after posting her lowest score ever with a 6-under 66 at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
But Shoemaker’s great day wasn’t enough.
ward stole her birdie putt He replicated Phil Mickelson’s first Masters victory in 2004 when he did the same thing on the same green.
“Good for her. Especially under pressure, knowing what she has to do, it’s amazing,” Shoemaker said later.
“It’s amazing. I think it was super clutch. I’m obviously disappointed, but at the end of the day, I played as well as I could. Maybe I missed a few putts. But , I also made almost everything. That’s the reality.”
Still, Ward’s late play drew comparisons to Charl Schwartzel in 2011. That year, South African Ward birdied the final four holes to defeat Adam Scott and Jason Day by two strokes and win his first major.
But this year, Ward birdied three of the final four holes to win by one, and it all started with an incredible par save on the 14th.
Ward missed his tee shot to the left, but received a lucky bounce. Her ball flew off the Georgia pine into the fairway and landed 211 yards to her flagstick. The British woman then airmailed Green in a hybrid, creating the delicate up-and-down she definitely needed.
She hit a chip shot about 10 feet and made a tricky left-to-right par putt.
Ward made it, giving her a glimmer of hope and momentum heading into the par-5 15th.
Ward then missed to the left again and was forced to lay up in front of the water that protects the front of the green. She then stuck her third shot down the hole and made her uphill birdie putt to get within one shot.
Once again, she made that putt as well.
On the next hole, the famous par-3 16th, Ward hit an aggressive iron shot into the green for another birdie with a great finish. But he missed the putt on the high side and was in disbelief.
Still, she still had a chance, trailing by one with two holes left.
Walks. that. in.
Lottie Wood made 17 birdies and tied with Bailey Shoemaker on the final hole!!
Ward took exactly one on the 18th fairway. What an amazing sight at Augusta National!#ANWAGolf pic.twitter.com/sQ6QeciCAQ
— PlayingThrough (@_PlayingThrough) April 6, 2024
On the 17th, Ward struggled with his tee shot on the back nine, but hit it right down the middle, putting him in prime position for a birdie. She did just that, taking her second shot closer and make her birdie putt With utmost confidence.
And at 18, Ward sat tied for the lead, knowing full well that a birdie would give him the win. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Ward cut off his tee shot beautifully into the middle of the fairway and hit a short iron onto the green.
She took an aggressive approach, and it paid off, ultimately resulting in a huge victory in golf’s most hallowed ground.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
