AUGUSTA, GA April 5, 2019: Amateur golfer Mariah Smith poses for a portrait with Augusta National member Condoleezza Rice, underneath the oak tree by the clubhouse during the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Kelly Kline)
April 8, 2019
BY AAGD STAFF
Mariah Smith had the time of her life as an invitee to the very first Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Announced last year, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, by Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley, the news of the coveted tournament was shared during his annual press conference at the Masters Tournament. The event was established to inspire greater interest and participation in the women’s game by creating a new, exciting and rewarding pathway for these players to fulfill their dreams. The tournament took place April 3-6, 2019.
Maria, a 20-year-old, sophomore at the University of Tennessee, has an impressive history of shotmaking and recorded two top-five finishes in collegiate play in 2018, including a T-3 finish at the Bobby Nichols Invitational and a T-4 at the Starmount Forest Fall Classic. Her summer was highlighted by winning the Tennessee Women’s Amateur Championship. She was captain of her Clarksville High School’s women’s golf team all four years of her prep career and led her team to the 2016 TSSAA Division 1 Class AAA State Championship title.
Although she missed the cut Maria has much to say about her Augusta National experience and shared this with AtlantaMagazine.com
“It was definitely a dream come true; I’ve watched the Masters every year and have always wanted to play this course. For us to finally have a tournament here and to have the opportunity to play on this course really means a lot. It was surreal to walk those fairways and greens.”
Maria continued, “I think this event is very significant for women’s golf, it’s really opening doors for women’s golf and for future generations, I think this is really good for us and is going to help grow the game in the upcoming years.”
“I really wanted to come out here and be an inspiration to other African American girls and women in golf—just try to show them that we can do anything that we set our minds to and that we can open the doors and pave the way for future generations.”
“[This tournament is] going to have a huge impact on the game of golf. Young children, men and women, whoever watches the Masters is now going to know that there is a women’s tournament there, so I’m hoping that by watching this tournament and the Masters on TV, maybe more people will get interested.”
