Smith Takes Early Lead at Augusta

Nebraska’s Kate Smith blitzed the first 11 holes to the tune of four-under-par in the opening round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Wednesday. 

Smith, a Husker senior from Detroit Lakes, Minn., ended the day at the top of the leaderboard when play was suspended due to inclement weather at Champions Retreat in Georgia at 3:32 p.m. (CT). 

The Big Ten Conference’s Mary Fossum Award winner in 2020, Smith was one of the last golfers off the tee Wednesday morning and began with a par on No. 1 before carding her first birdie of the day on No. 2. She posted three straight pars before getting her second birdie on the par-3 No. 6. After pars on No. 7 and 8, Smith closed the front nine at 33 (-3) with a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole.

Smith then made it back-to-back birdies with another birdie putt on the par-4 No. 10. Play was suspended for the day after she added a par on No. 11.

“I am just super grateful for the opportunity to play in this event, so I just went out there and tried to enjoy the day,” Smith said. “I am going into tomorrow with the same mindset, and I am excited for the week to come.

At four-under, Smith owns a three-stroke lead over five golfers. Two players finished the round at 71 (-1) – Ana Pelaez Trivino and Rose Zhang, while three others Karen Fredgaard (15), Kiira Riihijarvi (13) and Linn Grant (12) were one-under-par. Eight other golfers were at even-par when play was suspended.

The top 30 golfers at the end of 36 holes in the 82-player field will advance to the championship round at Augusta National on Saturday. First and second-round play will resume tomorrow at 6:45 a.m.