Top female amateurs face a difficult decision on how to spend the first weekend of April with the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the ANA Inspiration, the LPGA’s first major, still overlapping. The tournaments will be played on opposite sides of the country on March 31 to April 3.
After an 86-player ANWA field was revealed this month, one player has decided to go the other direction. Germany’s Aline Krauter, a junior at Stanford, will be in the ANA Inspiration field instead.
Krauter is the reigning British Women’s Amateur champion.
“It is such a fantastic opportunity for me to gain experience playing amongst the world’s best in the season’s first major,” Krauter said in a media release on Monday. “I could not think of a more historic venue to play my first major championship at. I am honored to have been given this amazing opportunity to test my game at the next level.”
The ANA Inspiration has traditionally welcomed a handful of the world’s top female amateurs to compete in the field. This year, only Rose Zhang, the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, and Krauter were invited. Both players appeared on Augusta National’s list of confirmed entries for the ANWA, and Zhang – who will also play for Stanford beginning next fall – remains on the list.
Counting Krauter, Stanford would have sent four players to Augusta National, second only to USC, which is sending six players.
A year ago, before the 2020 ANWA was canceled and the ANA Inspiration moved to September because of COVID, five amateurs accepted an invitation to compete in the ANA Inspiration. Four of those players are committed to the 2021 ANWA, with Gabi Ruffels having turned pro. She will compete in the ANA as a professional after earning a return spot with her T-15 finish in September.