CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois women’s golf senior Crystal Wang has received an invitation to compete in the third annual Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The 2022 edition of the tournament will be held on March 30-April 2.
“I am so honored to be invited to this special event,” said Wang. “I am so excited and blessed to have this amazing opportunity and have the chance to compete at the Augusta National Golf Course.”
The tournament, which takes place a week before The Masters, will feature 72 of the best women’s amateur golfers in the world competing over 54 holes of stroke play. The first 36 holes of the event will be contested over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on March 30-31 with a cut following the second round. The entire field will then play Augusta National Golf Club for an official practice round on April 1, before the final round at Augusta National on April 2, featuring the top 30 competitors who make the cut. In the event of a tie after 54 holes, the winner will be decided by sudden-death playoff.
“We are extremely excited Crystal has earned an invitation to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur,” said head coach Renee Slone. “Illinois women’s golf will be represented at the ANWA for the third consecutive time in the three years of the event. Crystal has already reached out to former Illini Tristyn Nowlin to gather her insight from the two years she competed. We are thrilled Crystal will have the opportunity to share this incredible experience with her mom and look forward to assisting her prepare for this memorable event.”
NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. CT on April 2 and will also provide pre-event promotion across NBCUniversal’s portfolio, while Golf Channel will deliver highlights, live reports and news coverage throughout the event, including onsite during the first two competitive rounds at Champions Retreat. Additionally, Golf Channel’s “Live From the Masters” will commence on April 1 from Augusta National and wrap ANWA coverage on April 2 and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on April 3.
Wang paced the Illini with a 71.93 stroke average in the fall and recorded the highest finish on the team in the final three tournaments of the fall season. Named to the Big Ten Conference Women’s Golfer to Watch List, Wang was selected as the conference’s golfer of the week on November 3, 2021 after registering her highest finish of the fall season with a third place showing at The Landfall Tradition with a season-low tournament total of four-under par 212 that included a season-low-tying four-under 68 score. She also led all players with 17 birdies in the tournament.
Wang and the Illini return to action for the spring season at the Columbia Classic on February 13-14 in Melbourne, Fla.
For more Fighting Illini women’s golf news, stay tuned to FightingIllini.com and follow @IlliniWGolf on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook.