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Florida State's two top-ranked players are the favorites heading into Augusta National
Florida State's two top-ranked players are the favorites heading into Augusta National

USA Today

time31-03-2025

  • Sport
  • USA Today

Florida State's two top-ranked players are the favorites heading into Augusta National

Florida State's two top-ranked players are the favorites heading into Augusta National Florida State coach Amy Bond found a brand new Titleist ProV1 buried in the second fairway of Seminole Legacy Golf Club during the final round of the recent Florida State Match Up. She handed it to junior Lottie Woad on the third tee and asked her to sign it. 'For what?' Woad asked. Bond figured a kid would show up later in the day to watch, and it would be fun to get a ball signed by the No. 1 amateur in the world. On the fourth hole, Bond gave the ball away to a young girl, and on No. 5, that same little girl went over to Woad to say thanks and ask for a photo. Woad, of course, couldn't resist. Bond finds herself in a unique and enviable position this season. She has not one, but two No. 1 players on her team to prepare for the next level. Woad, the 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur champion, tops the World Amateur Golf Ranking while her teammate, Mirabel Ting, is the nation's top collegiate golfer. 'It's not very often that World No. 1 has been playing No. 2, you know,' said Bond. Ting's record-breaking 10-stroke victory at the Florida State Match Up marks her fifth title in six stroke-play starts this season. She's a whopping 52 under par in that stretch. Woad, meanwhile, hasn't finished outside the top 3 in a college event in more than a year. When it comes to favorites for the sixth edition of the Augusta National Women's Amateur April 2-5, it's hard to look past the Seminoles' remarkable 1-2 punch. The tournament begins at Champions Retreat on Wednesday, and six of the top seven from last year are in the field. A cut will be made after two rounds, and every contestant will have the chance to play Augusta National Golf Club on Friday in a practice round before Saturday's conclusion. Woad's dramatic victory at Augusta National last spring included birdies on three of the last four holes, joining Arnold Palmer (1960), Mark O'Meara (1998) and Art Wall Jr. (1959) as champions at Augusta National Golf Club who birdied their final two holes to win by one shot. The victory propelled the reserved Englishwoman into her first LPGA appearance at the Chevron Championship, where she finished in the top 25. She'd go on to finish runner-up at the NCAA Championship and 10th at the AIG Women's British Open at St. Andrews – which included a hole-out for eagle on the iconic 18th. She also helped Great Britain and Ireland take back the Curtis Cup at historic Sunningdale Golf Club in England. 'Bucket-list stuff,' said Woad, who still hasn't taken the ANWA trophy out of the box for fear it might rust. When Malaysia's Ting ran away with her latest victory in Tallahassee on March 23, Woad was alongside her teammates, showering Ting with water to celebrate. When Ting asks for a second set of eyes on the range or for tips out of the bunker, Woad happily obliges. During practice rounds, the pair sometimes need only one shot between them to save time, Ting said, because they hit it so similarly. There's a deep respect between the two Seminoles, even down to the fact that they go about their business so differently. 'Lottie is a robot,' said Ting. 'She loves practicing. She can be out there 24 hours. I think I just work differently. … That is why coach never puts workouts as optional. If optional was there, I would never be at workouts. If it's an optional practice, I would not go.' In fact, Ting said Bond called her a lazy bum last fall when she asked to miss out on some practice time. While she couldn't tell whether or not it was a joke, the comment left Ting triggered enough to get in gear. As a result, she spent more time on her weaknesses this semester, and it has paid off handsomely. 'She's putting out of this world,' said Bond of a player who was already a world-class ball-striker. Over the Christmas holidays, Ting flew to Thailand to begin working with Kris Assawapimonporn, LPGA star Jeeno Thitikul's longtime instructor. The pair worked on everything from setup, to grip, to green reading. There are times, Ting said, when she has spent two hours on the putting green trying to make 50 five-footers in a row with a gate drill. She recently stretched it to 100 must-makes in a row. Ting began her college career in Augusta, Georgia, before transferring to Florida State. And even though Augusta National felt more familiar to her than most, the sight of so many fans gathered around the first tee during the final round last year sent her straight to the bathroom to cry. This year, however, a more experienced Ting knows what to expect as she heads back with more confidence and exposure. 'It means a lot,' said Ting of ascending to the top of the collegiate rankings, 'but at the same time I'm not trying to put a lot of pressure on myself that I have to win every tournament just because I'm the No. 1 player.' Besides, she's not the only No. 1.

The tears started flowing when the world's No. 1 amateur golfer secured his PGA Tour card
The tears started flowing when the world's No. 1 amateur golfer secured his PGA Tour card

USA Today

time03-03-2025

  • Sport
  • USA Today

The tears started flowing when the world's No. 1 amateur golfer secured his PGA Tour card

The tears started flowing when the world's No. 1 amateur golfer secured his PGA Tour card PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – At the end, it almost seemed ceremonial when Luke Clanton's birdie putt disappeared on the final hole. But the fist-pump by Clanton and the tears flowing from his family behind the 18th green of the Champion course at PGA National were obvious signs this meant everything to the 21-year-old from Hialeah. Luke Clanton, PGA Tour member. 'I can't put into words how awesome this is,' Clanton said 'The journey I've had so far on the PGA Tour … A year ago, if you told me I'd be right here getting my card, I would tell you, no way.' Yes, way. The world's No. 1-ranked amateur and Florida State sophomore will soon have the (a) removed after his name. With most of the focus on him the last few weeks after a sensational performance last year, Clanton fired a 5-under 66 Friday to move into 10th place after the second round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches. More importantly, Clanton easily made the cut – by three shots – and earned the 20th point in the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. He becomes the second player, joining Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent, to earn membership as soon as the Seminoles' season ends in May. (He can still play on the PGA Tour with exemptions). Clanton seems destined for a great career no matter when he earned his PGA Tour card. But there was something symbolic about him getting in at PGA National, in contention no less. That was also obvious when the family huddled in prayer behind the green. When approached afterward, his father, David, was still in tears. 'He spent a lot of years grinding for this,' David said. 'A lot of years. Since he was 3 – I've got pictures. Everybody has a dream. But to do it this way, almost in his back yard, on the PGA Tour is hard to believe.' Clanton's coach, Jeff Leishman of Jupiter, could only smile at Clanton's latest brilliance. Leishman knew Clanton was getting tired of the questions after he missed the cut by a shot three weeks ago at the WM Phoenix Open. 'This just gives him more opportunities to do what he loves,' Leishman said. 'There's been some steps along the way. This is just another one.' It was also cool that Clanton did this with another Seminole, Daniel Berger, playing in the threesome. Berger is also coached by Leishman. 'He's a great player,' said Berger, who is tied for third, two shots out of the lead. 'He hits it a mile. He's got a great short game. He's real fiery. He's got a bright future. Just got to keep doing what he's doing.' Clanton made four consecutive birdies on the front nine, including holing a chip from the greenside bunker at No. 6, to move him easily onside the cut line. But after a bogey at the 15th, he knew he needed to keep his mindset on making birdies, not pars. 'I looked at my caddy and said, I want to be in contention to win this tournament,' Clanton said. 'I kind of flipped my mindset to make the cut or I would have been close to making the cut. 'We were focused in, man, from the start of the day to the end of the day, we were locked in, and then on 18 when I saw my mom and dad, I started to break down a little bit. But overall it's just awesome.'

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