01 April 2022: The 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur continued Thursday with the second round. Play was delayed due to inclement weather for seven and a half hours before starting times began at 3 p.m. ET. Play was suspended due to darkness at 7:52 p.m. ET, with Amari Avery, Hailey Borja and Beatrice Wallin tied for first at even par. Avani Prashanth came through a difficult day for golf with a resilient 73. She is five-over through 36 holes in T26, but there are several golfers yet to complete their round.
Avani went out in 39, despite playing with great determination. A bogey on the 13th hole and a double bogey on the 16th cost her dear. The Bengaluru girl shot birdie on 16 in the opening round. On Thursday, Avani watched her approach roll down the elevated green at 16. Her chip shot resulted in another painful trickle back. The third effort left her on the fringe and she needed two more strokes including a gutsy putt to secure a double bogey.
Undeterred, Avani made a brilliant putt from 25 feet for a birdie. At the par-5 third hole, Avani drove an imposing 265 yards and reached the green in two, ensuring a second birdie. Her approach to the pin on the fifth green, left her inside ten feet and Avani cleaned it up for a third birdie.
Avani had birdie opportunities at the 8th and 9th to round off what would have been an excellent round, but she settled for pars and a 73.
Play will resume on Friday at 7:30 a.m. for 21 groups to complete the second round. The field will be cut to the top-30 players. Following the conclusion of the second round, all 72 competitors will proceed to Augusta National Golf Club for a practice round.
Borja had two birdies on her first nine holes to make the turn at one under and hold the solo lead. The University of Michigan junior bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11 to fall back to even par with seven holes remaining. Borja had a one-under-par 71 in her debut.
Avery had two birdies through her first six holes and had seven straight pars after making the turn. The University of Southern California freshman has two holes left to play.
Wallin, also with two holes remaining, put herself in a good position to become the first player to make the cut in all three editions of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The Florida State senior has two birdies in her second round.
Four players are one stroke back at one over par. Jensen Castle, Latanna Stone, first-round co-leader Benedetta Moresco and Amalie Leth-Nissen will return to Champions Retreat on Friday morning hoping to take a share of the lead.
Castle holds the low second-round score so far at two under with two holes to play. Stone and Moresco each have three holes remaining, while Leth-Nissen has the second nine ahead of her.
As the sun set at Champion’s Retreat, the projected cut is four over par. There are 11 players sitting one stroke back, including world No. 1 Rose Zhang. A playoff will be held following the completion of the second round to fill the top-30 spots, if needed.
