For the second consecutive week, the LPGA TOUR makes its stop in Los Angeles. This weeks event, the Palos Verdes Championship, is going to be contested at the Palos Verdes Golf Club. A second-straight golf course for the LPGA TOUR that has stood the test of time and sees its architect from a by-gone era.
That said, not everything is antiquated at the event this week presented by The Bank of America..
Enter the 2022 ANWA (Augusta National Women’s Amateur) Champion, 16 year-old Anna Davis.
Prior to this week the 16 year-old native of San Diego, California had never been to Los Angeles, but this week that’s all changed in a dramatic fashion. At the tender of age of 16, Davis had never anticipated making her LPGA TOUR debut at such a young age. Yet, with a sponsor’s invite here she is. When asked during her Tuesday Pre-Tournament interview, Davis stated.
“I think it’s pretty cool. I didn’t expect to play an LPGA event at such a young age, so it’s very exciting. It’s been one of my goals for a really long time,”
Known for her fashion choice of donning “Bucket Hats” while strolling the fairways of Augusta National Golf Club, she let it be known that her choice of wearing bucket hats is quite simply, no fad. More to the point, Davis let it be known that she had a couple of new options to wear atop her head this week.
While it was seen as somewhat unexpected, the victory at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, Davis isn’t exactly what you could describe as an “unknown”. The youthful high school sophomore has developed a terrific playing resume that would make her a coveted recruit for any university or college. A resume that would make any women’s coach clamber for her to join their golf program. Davis has received such accolades as being a member of the U.S. Junior Solheim Cup Team in 2021. Davis also won twice last year including a “going away” seven-stroke victory at the Girls Junior PGA Championship. Davis’ first victory came at the AJGA Ping Heather Farr Classic, almost a year to the day before her victory at Augusta.
While she had been on the radar of several college and university coaches prior to winning the ANWA, Davis stated that she had no dream school per se. When asked if she had a “dream school” in mind Davis stated “Anything can happen in two years”. Moving forward she’s just going to see how things “play out” as she indicated that she would be using other scheduled LPGA TOUR events to assess where she’s at.
As it stands right now, Davis will be playing in the Cognizant Founder’s Cup in a few weeks. After that other events on her schedule includes the U.S. Women’s Open, Amundi Evian Championship, and the AIG Women’s Open Championship along with other fill-in tournaments.
Admittedly, her life has changed a little bit since winning at Augusta National Golf Club as the victory has afforded her many opportunities and there are likely many more to come.
“I mean, just going back it’s like so many people have contacted me and stuff like that. I’ve gotten so many opportunities because of it, and I’m very thankful for that.”
Anna Davis was calm and composed on the fairways and greens while announcing her arrival to the golf world that Saturday in Augusta, Georgia. There’s a certain cool and poised demeanor about her whilst there’s that almost unabashed, without-saying giggling teenager quality intertwined as well. A fearlessness. True to herself.
It is with those characteristics that Anna Davis is going to be embarking on her first LPGA TOUR event as she tees it up on Thursday. Not nervous, she is going to be going out there and treating it like any other event and just have fun out there.
