Arizona senior women’s golfer Carolina Melgrati qualified for the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and will play at Augusta National, the home of the Masters Tournament, in Georgia on Saturday.
Melgrati made the cut after shooting 2 under in the first two rounds at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Georgia; she was even after the opening round on Wednesday. Melgrati is currently tied for 17th.
All 32 players who made the cut are under par for the first time in Augusta National Women’s Amateur history.
Arizona senior Carolina Melgrati is competing in her third Augusta National Women's Amateur.
Florida State junior and top-ranked amateur Lottie Woad and Oregon’s Kiara Romero are tied for the lead at 9 under. Woad shot 7 under for her opening round. She could become the first player to win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in back-to-back seasons.
Melgrati, a Milan, Italy native, is a two-time All-Pac-12 selection and has played in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur event three times in her Arizona career; she also played in 2022 and ‘23.
All 71 players at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur event played a practice round at Augusta National on Friday, but only 32, including Melgrati, will play in the final round on Saturday. NBC is broadcasting the final round from 9 a.m. to noon.
Melgrati isn’t the only UA representative in Augusta, Georgia, this week.
Arizona senior Carolina Melgrati competed in three Augusta National Women’s Amateur events during her time as a Wildcat.
The UA men’s golf program is playing in the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational on Saturday and Sunday at Forest Hills Golf Course, which is just over 4 miles away from Augusta National.
Top-ranked Texas, Oklahoma State, North Carolina, Illinois, Notre Dame and Texas Tech, among others, will also compete in the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational.
The Wildcats recently won the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate at Tucson Country Club, edging the Cal Golden Bears by two strokes. It marked Arizona’s second win of the 2024-25 season. The Wildcats also won the Windon Memorial Classic in Lake Forest, Illinois, in September.
Arizona men’s head coach Jim Anderson joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson to reflect on the Wildcats’ first win of the season and look ahead to the team’s weekend in Augusta.
Arizona’s Filip Jakubcik kicks up a lot of turf making his approach shot from the rough on the 18th hole at Omni Tucson National during the school’s National Invitational Tournament on Jan. 30, 2024.
UA junior Filip Jakubcik sank the birdie putt to secure the win. What was that moment like for him and the team?
A: “Filip is such a great golfer. He’s currently ranked in the Top 25 in the world in amateur golf and he’s done a terrific job in his third year with the team. He’s been a guy that we relied on every step of the way. He has missed very few tournaments. He’s been playing No. 1 (golfer) for us and has filled a role that’s really important.
“We have a ton of confidence in all of our guys, but none more than Filip. ... Everyone around the 18th green knew what was at stake. I don’t know if Filip knew, but everyone around the green knew. ... Filip calmly stuck to his routine, hit a great putt with perfect speed. Lo and behold, it found the cup. We told him how proud we were.
“It means a lot. That’s the kind of experience we want to pick up through the regular season, the memories we want to share. Celebrating wins, it doesn’t happen as much in golf often times, so having a chance to win and pull it off like he did and we did, it only fuels our confidence when those type situations come up later in the season. ... It was cool to see Filip pull that off and it was really gratifying to be a part of that, encourage him and see him accomplish it.”
In addition to Jakubcik, junior Zach Pollo and senior Johnny Walker were your top finishers. How important are those three to the success of this season?
A: “Both (Pollo and Walker) have really stepped up. Zach is a player who has seen a ton of action, as well. Him and Filip are roommates and are great friends, work really hard together and have accomplished a lot together. Zach is a guy who people think, including our guys, has all of the characteristics to play golf at a high level not just in college, but even past that.
“When Zach plays well, especially Zach and Filip, that’s a great recipe and I can’t say enough good things about Johnny Walker just because he’s been someone who has been a key part of our team since his freshman year. ... He has stepped up his senior year and has become a reliable and very composed member of our team. He has learned a ton through his career.
“For us to be the team we believe, all three of those guys are going to be guys we look to play great golf and put us in position to compete for the Big 12 championship and get through the (NCAA regional) to that national championship in May.”
Arizona men’s golf coach Jim Anderson chats with guests during the dedication of UA’s William M. “Bill” Clements Golf Center at Tucson Country Club on April 18, 2024.
What are your expectations for the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational this week?
A: “It’s going to be incredible. Having a team to be in that part of the U.S. in early April is special in its own right. The invitation to get into this tournament is very coveted. The Augusta Haskins Award Invitational is one that attracts some top teams — a lot from the area in the southeast part of the country. We’re going to get to see some competition we don’t normally see year-round, but certainly this time of year, in championships, those are teams we’re going to be facing.
“One of the cool, special things about the event is they typically have the opportunity to provide a practice-round badge for the contestants, so they can walk out and see the Monday practice round of the Masters. We have seven (players) traveling, but no matter who goes, including the coaches, it will be the first time any of us have stepped foot on Augusta National. Getting to provide that experience is a part of our program and trying to provide our kids with lasting memories is part of it.
“We want to win the national championship, compete for the Big 12 championship and celebrate the wins, but there’s also more to it than just competing. When we share experiences like that, I think it builds a bond that lasts an incredibly long time.”
