West Columbia grad gears up for second Augusta National Women’s Amateur

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - For the second year in a row, Jensen Castle will be playing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

West Columbia Grad and the current University of Kentucky Wildcat is the 121st U.S. Women’s Amateur champion. She ranks 26 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Castle’s first time at Augusta National was an eye-opening moment. With a return on the horizon, we caught up with Castle, as she prepares to return to another history-setting competition.

Castle gets to do it all over again. “Reminiscing on that event, I get goosebumps,” says Castle.

It’s the picture she’s been waiting to post since she opened the signature green envelope.

Castle says, “The Instagram posts of holding invitations are so important, and so hyped up, because it’s so exciting. Everyone wants to be part of it. Not everyone can play, you have to be a certain caliber of a player to be invited. Just makes it all more special.”

Castle finished tied for 12th 5 over in a field of 72 last year.

“Down the stretch when I realized like you know it’s not my day, I can’t get close but I can’t get the ball to drop. It is what it is. That’s when I started to like realize and cherish what was going on. This just happened, I just played 18 holes at Augusta on Saturday for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur,” Castle says.

From the record galleries.

She shares, “I just remember walking up 18, not seeing a little bit of grass. Everyone’s just standing around 18 green. I am a part of that generation where the girls and women’s golf is making a change. You know, like, five years ago, Augusta National Women’s Amateur was just getting in the works.”

To the diverse competition.

“I’m representing the University of Kentucky, I’m representing myself, my name my family, I’m representing that state behind me in my country,” she shares.

It is one Castle has marked on the calendar.

The 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur will take place on Mar. 29 and 30 at Champions Retreat with the final round of the top 30, competing on Apr. 1 at Augusta National.

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