By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Hannah Darling has accepted an invitation to make her fourth appearance in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April.
The
Broomieknowe member will be flying the Saltire on her own in the
Augusta National Golf Club-run event for the third year running after
being joined for her debut in 2022 by Louise Duncan.
Darling
tied for 27th in that first appearance then missed the cut the
following year before producing her best effort so far when finishing
seventh last year.
On
this occasion, the University of South Carolina player will be among
just three players from Great Britain & Ireland in the field as she
joins English duo Patience Rhodes and Lottie Woad.
Woad,
of course, is the defending champion after becoming the first European
player to claim the coveted crown last April, when she came out on top
by a shot from American Bailey Shoemaker.
Darling
has recorded three top-five finishes on the US college circuit this
season, including a win in the Annika Intercollegiate in September.
That triumph came hot on the heels of the Scottish No 1 helping Great
Britain & Ireland pull off a stunning win over the US in the Curtis
Cup at Sunningdale.
Playing
in her third Curtis Cup, Darling was the only member of captain
Catriona Matthew's team with previous experience in the biennial bout.
A
total of 65 players have thus far accepted invitations, with Tsubasa
Kajitani and Anna Davis, the winners in 2021 and 2022 respectively also
set to be in the field.
Taking place the week prior to the 89th Masters, the first two rounds
will be played at Champions Retreat Golf Club on 2-3 April before the
top 30 and ties then progress to the final round at Augusta National on 5
April.
