Instead of pressing, she leaned into her short game and mental toughness, grinding out crucial up-and-downs. 

“It felt like I was really grinding, which is just as fun as a 63 sometimes,” she said with a smile.

A birdie on 18 gave her a boost heading into Saturday.

“The wind picked up on the last five, so I just wanted to be even par through those, and I was. That birdie on 18 was a nice little bonus.”

While Ganne grinded, Woad glided—at least early. 

The defending champion used patience and precision to leapfrog into the lead with a composed second round. 

“Some holes you had to play away from,” Woad said. “Yesterday I could attack everything, but today it was about smart golf.” 

That strategy paid off, especially given her experience navigating this tournament’s unique rhythm. 

“Most tournaments you only sleep on the lead for one night. This one, it’s two. But I did it last year, so I’m not doing anything different,” she said.

Asterisk Talley may be the youngest in contention, but she came up with one of the biggest rounds of the day—a six-under 66. Starting near the cut line, she launched herself into contention by birdieing three of four par-5s and keeping the ball in play. 

“I knew I had to fire some scores today,” Talley said. “Everything I’ve gotten runner-up in… I know how to get second. Now it’s time to pull through.”

Kiara Romero’s path to Augusta National was paved with resilience. After stumbling with a double and a bogey on 4 and 5, she birdied her final three holes in style. 

“Last year, a double would’ve ruined my round,” she said. “This year, I just kept playing my game.” 

Her sister—also her caddie and aspiring psychologist—played a quiet but crucial role. “She said, ‘You’re fine. Just move on.’ And that was perfect,” Romero shared.

While the top of the leaderboard is full of enticing storylines, only 32 players will tee it up on Saturday in the final round at Augusta National. The cut was made at even par.

Some notable players who entered with high hopes missed the cut. Mirabel Ting, Lottie Woad’s Florida State teammate is having one of the best college seasons in the country but a 68 today wasn’t enough to make up for Wednesday’s 76. 

Last year’s runner-up Bailey Shoemaker, who shot a 66 in the final round shot a pair of 74s to miss the cut.

South Carolina star Hannah Darling will also miss out on the Saturday round along with 2021 champion Tsubasa Kajitani.

All 71 players will play a practice round at Augusta National on Friday before the tournament’s final round on Saturday.

It is shaping up to be a heavyweight clash between experienced contenders and fearless upstarts. 

Ganne summed up the vibe perfectly: “Saturday’s a whole new tournament… and I think we’re all excited for it.”

DAY ONE RECAP

It was a day of low scores at Champions Retreat on the opening day of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Megha Ganne set the pace with an incredible 63 early in the day. This caught the attention of the field, who were immediately put into "chase mode." 

Ganne's round was highlighted by a stretch of three straight birdies on hole No. 11-13. Walking to the 14th tee, she was 8-under par. The Stanford star opened her round with a birdie and then made an eagle on the par-5 third. The birdies kept coming for Ganne, and she is now a record holder at an event that boasts the strongest field in women’s amateur golf.

Ganne's former Stanford teammate, Rose Zhang, held the single-round scoring record with a 65 in the second round of the 2023 ANWA. Zhang would go on to win the event.

After the round, Ganne was asked if she might text Zhang to let her know her record was broken.

"I don't know if I will. I probably should now that you bring it up," Ganne said. "That's probably the first time I can say I've beaten her in something, so I will."

Champions Retreat has tested players over the years, but Ganne thinks the course might be a little easier this year due to some lost trees after Hurricane Helene damaged much of the area in September. The storm also affected Augusta National, and fans will get a firsthand look at the changes there on Saturday.

“You can hit driver off those holes more comfortably.  You have a shorter club in,” Ganne said following the round. “Those trees would bat your ball down. I think the course is playing at least a stroke easier.”

After dealing with a left hip injury last summer, Ganne is feeling fresher and stronger. She was forced to put the clubs down and work on mobility and flexibility. 

“I think I'm just able to move through the ball better after working on strengthening my hip,” Ganne said. “Definitely helpful to have some shorter clubs in.”

While Ganne’s stunning 63 has her sitting atop the leaderboard alone, there is a cadre of talented players lurking just behind her.

England's Lottie Woad, the reigning champion, carded a 7-under-par 65. Woad's round included eight birdies and one bogey. Just like in last year’s final round, she finished strong, making birdies on three of the final six holes, including a 50-foot bomb on the 15th and a 15-foot putt on the 18th hole. The junior from Florida State is aiming to become the first player to win a second ANWA. 

For many, Ganne’s 63 had players thinking about making birdies instead of trying to make the cut and earn a relished spot in the field for Saturday’s final round at Augusta National. 

“I saw she (Ganne) was 9-under, and I was like, ‘Okay, I need to get something going,” Woad said following the round. 

2022 champion Anna Davis had the same sentiment.

“It made me more focused on chasing her than trying to make the cut,” she said. Davis shot a solid 3-under 69.

University of Virginia’s Amanda Sambach grew up in the Home of American Golf at Pinehurst and is hoping to hear the roars of Amen Corner on Saturday in her fifth appearance in the ANWA. She’s off to a great start, shooting a bogey-free 5-under par 67. She is joined by Kiara Romero and Farah O'Keefe in third place. 

Four players shot 68 - Meja Örtengren, Minseo Jung, Mackenzie Lee, and Carla Bernat Escuder. 

The reigning U.S. Women’s and U.S. Junior Amateur champion, Rianne Malixi, had to withdraw on Wednesday evening with a back injury. 

Following Thursday’s second round, the top 30 and ties will play on Saturday in the final round at Augusta National. On Friday, every player in the field will play Augusta National in a practice round.

"I think it's the most exciting week in amateur golf, men's or women's, period," Ganne said. "I think everyone in golf knows about it.  They might not know about certain other tournaments, but when this one's happening, people tune in."

After the fireworks of the first day, it seems likely that many people will tune in on Thursday on the Golf channel at 1:30 p.m. to see if someone can catch Ganne and who will make the cut.