Florida's Top Seeds Dominate Pre-Tournament Buzz at Augusta National

Florida State Coach Amy Bond discovered an unused Titleist ProV1 golf ball embedded in the second fairway at Seminole Legacy Golf Club during the concluding round of the Florida State Match Up. She gave this newly found ball to junior player Lottie Woad at the third tee box and requested she autograph it.

“For what?” Woad asked.

Bond anticipated that a child would come along later in the day to keep an eye on things, and he thought it might be enjoyable to have a ball autographed by the top-ranked amateur golfer. During the fourth hole, Bond presented the ball to a small girl instead. Later, on the fifth hole, this young girl approached Woad to express her gratitude and request taking a picture together.

Of course, Woad couldn't help but jump in.

This season, Bond finds herself in an exceptional and desirable situation with her team. Not only does she have one player ranked number one globally, but also another who holds such distinction. Woad, the winner of the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur championship, leads the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Meanwhile, her fellow teammate, Mirabel Ting, ranks as the country’s premier college golfer.

"It's not common for the World No. 1 player to face off against the No. 2 player," explained Bond.

Ting’s unprecedented 10-stroke win at the Florida State Match-Up This marks her fifth victory in six stroke-play starts this season. She has an impressive score of 52 under par during that period. Meanwhile, Woad hasn't finished worse than third place in over a year at any collegiate event.

In considering frontrunners for the upcoming sixth edition of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur scheduled from April 2nd to 5th, one cannot overlook Florida State University’s outstanding duo near the top. This competition kicks off on Wednesday at Champions Retreat with many of last year's leading contenders participating again this time around. Following the first couple of rounds, competitors will face a cut, but all participants will get an opportunity to familiarize themselves with Augusta National Golf Club during a practice round on Friday prior to the final day of play on Saturday.

Woad’s spectacular triumph at Augusta National last spring featured birdies on three out of the last four holes, placing him alongside legends like Arnold Palmer (1960), Mark O'Meara (1998), and Art Wall Jr. (1959). These golfers all managed to secure victories by winning with a one-stroke lead after scoring birds on their final two holes at the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club.

This win pushed the unassuming English woman into her debut at the Chevron Championship on the LPGA tour, where she placed within the top 25. Later, she secured second place at the NCAA Championship and achieved a tie for tenth at the AIG Women’s British Open held at St. Andrews, highlighted by an impressive hole-in-one for an eagle on the famous 18th hole. Additionally, she contributed significantly as Great Britain and Ireland reclaimed the Curtis Cup at the prestigious Sunningdale Golf Club in England.

“It’s bucket-list material,” Woad stated, hesitating to open the box containing the ANWA trophy due to concerns about potential rust.

On March 23rd, when Ting secured her most recent win in Tallahassee, Woad joined her teammates in dousing her with water as part of the celebration. Whenever Ting requests another perspective on the course or seeks advice from the bunker, Woad readily assists. According to Ting, during practice sessions, they often manage their shots efficiently; at times, just one swing between both of them suffices due to how closely aligned their playing styles are.

There is a profound mutual regard between the two Seminoles, stemming from the fact that they conduct themselves in vastly different ways.

Lottie is a robot," Ting explained. "She enjoys constant practice. She could operate all day long without stopping. My approach differs from hers... which explains why the coach always makes workouts mandatory. If they were optional, I wouldn’t attend them at all. For me, if it’s voluntary training, count me out.

Ting mentioned that Bond referred to her as a lazy good-for-nothing last autumn when she requested to skip some practice sessions. Although she wasn't sure if he was joking, his remark made her feel sufficiently motivated to take action. Consequently, she dedicated extra effort to improving her weaker areas this term, which has resulted in significant benefits for her performance.

“She’s putting out of this world,” said Bond of a player who was already a world-class ball-striker.

During the Christmas break, Ting traveled to Thailand to start collaborating with Kris Assawapimonporn, who has been coaching LPGA player Jeeno Thitikul for many years. They focused on various aspects including stance, grip, and putting on the greens.

Ting mentioned that there have been instances where she dedicated two hours to practicing on the putting green, attempting to sink 50 consecutive putts from five feet away using a gate drill. Recently, she increased this challenge to 100 successive successful putts.

Ting started her collegiate journey at Augusta University in Augusta, Georgia, prior to moving on to Florida State. Despite feeling relatively comfortable with Augusta National compared to other places, seeing numerous spectators congregating near the first tee during the final round last year caused her to rush to the restroom in tears.

This year, though, a more seasoned Ting is aware of what lies ahead as she returns with increased confidence and broader experience.

It holds great significance," Ting stated regarding her rise to the top of the collegiate rankings, "however, I'm not putting immense pressure on myself to win every tournament simply because I am the No. 1 player.

Furthermore, she isn’t alone as a No. 1.

The article was initially published on GudangMovies21: The two highest-ranked athletes from Florida State are the frontrunners as they head towards Augusta National.