EXTRAORDINARY FIRSTS – THE INAUGURAL AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN’S AMATEUR PREMIERES TUESDAY, NOV. 26, AT 8 P.M. ET ON GOLF CHANNEL
“It was unreal. I never would have thought that there would be so many people supporting us.” – Jennifer Kupcho, 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Champion
“I’m so happy to be able to be a part of history and see the amount of people that were out there.” – Maria Fassi, 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Runner-Up
Kupcho to Reflect on Augusta National Women’s Amateur & Her 2019 LPGA Season Tonight on Golf Central (6 p.m. ET), Tomorrow on Morning Drive (7 a.m. ET)
Video: Extraordinary Firsts – The Inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur Sneak Peek
ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 18, 2019 – In April, history was made at Augusta National Golf Club with the playing of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Featuring a final-round showdown between Wake Forest senior Jennifer Kupcho and Arkansas senior Maria Fassi, who now both compete on the LPGA Tour, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur introduced the game’s future stars to a worldwide audience in a memorable display of competition and sportsmanship.
On Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. ET, GOLF Channel premieres a one-hour retrospective: Extraordinary Firsts – The Inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Narrated by NBC Sports’ Michele Tafoya, Extraordinary Firsts chronicles the week of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which featured an international field of 72 top female amateur golfers competing in the 54-hole event.
The film goes behind the scenes to document the anticipation and action during the opening two rounds at Champions Retreat Golf Club before turning the page to the players’ practice round and final round at Augusta National Golf Club. Featuring reflective interviews with Kupcho and Fassi, the longtime friends recount their final-round pairing at Augusta National, including their second-nine showdown and walk together up the famed 18th hole.
“It was just a great experience to walk up on to the 18th green knowing the kind of history Augusta has. It was surreal to be able to do that and know I was going to win.” – Jennifer Kupcho
“It was just so nice to share that moment with my friend…She deserved to win.” – Maria Fassi
The film also features interviews with several players in the field during the week of the competition, showcasing their experiences, including:
- Ainhoa Olarra of Spain, who made the cut via a playoff to advance to the final round at Augusta National. She played in honor of her best friend Celia Barquin, who was tragically killed in 2018.
- Haley Moore, who overcame a history of being bullied and finished T7.
- Sisters Yu-Sang and Yu-Chiang Hou of Chinese Taipei, who are both members of the University of Arizona’s women’s golf team.
- Alexa Pano, the youngest competitor in the field at 14 years of age, who also is a two-time Drive, Chip and Putt National Champion at Augusta National.
- Sierra Brooks, 2019 NCAA individual championship runner-up who finished T10.
“Ever since I was seven years old I wanted to be one of the first women to play at Augusta National. Now, the first opportunity that anyone has to be a part of this is such a big deal for me, women’s golf and women’s history. It’s just unreal.” – Alexa Pano
“Growing up as a competitive golfer, Augusta National always meant a lot to me because of the Masters. That is the biggest week in golf and is something that every golfer wants to be a part of. How everyone describes it is ‘Golf Heaven’ and it was just that.” – Sierra Brooks
The first two rounds of the championship took place at Champions Retreat Golf Club (Wednesday and Thursday, April 3-4) near Augusta, Ga. The entire field played Augusta National for an official practice round on Friday, April 5. NBC Sports provided three hours of live broadcast coverage of the final round on Saturday, April 6, which featured the top-30 competitors who made the cut.
NBC Sports’ coverage of the final round became the most-watched amateur golf telecast – men’s or women’s – in 14 years (2005 U.S. Amateur Finals on NBC).
The 2020 Augusta National Women’s Amateur is scheduled to take place Wednesday-Saturday, April 1-4.
About NBC Sports Group’s GOLF Division
NBC Sports Group’s GOLF division delivers multimedia content, technology and services. Co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995, GOLF Channel’s content is available to nearly 500 million viewers in nine languages across more than 70 countries around the world. GOLF features more live coverage of the sport than all other U.S. networks combined, including global tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, European Tour, NCAA, THE PLAYERS, The Open, Olympics, Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Delivering unmatched coverage from the world of golf via via GOLF Channel Digital, fans can access 24/7 live streaming through the NBC Sports App, as well as complementary coverage via PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold. In addition, NBC Sports connects the world to golf through a wide array of technology and lifestyle services, including: GOLFNOW, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform; GOLF Business Solutions, solving business needs through leading technology, marketing and services; GOLFPASS, an all-in-one digital membership delivering comprehensive benefits tailored to the modern golfer’s lifestyle; GOLF Advisor, the ultimate digital destination for the traveling golfer, featuring the largest number of user-generated golf course ratings and reviews in the industry; and GOLF Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour. GOLF’s global reach originates from its world headquarters in Orlando, Fla., and extends to its international office in Belfast, Northern Ireland; regional offices across North America, Europe and Australia; and also includes collaborations with Sky Sports and serving as the Official Media Partner of St Andrews Links.
-NBC Sports Group-
Media Contact:
Jeremy Friedman
GOLF Channel Communications
407-355-4058
Jeremy.Friedman@golfchannel.com
