Senior Leonie Harm earned the opportunity to play at Augusta after years of collegiate success. | Courtesy of UH Athletics
Senior golfer Leonie Harm joined the ranks of some of the best amateur female golfers in the world after her invitation to play at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur this past weekend in Georgia.
Houston’s sole representative and No. 13 ranked golfer earned an invite to the tournament after she became the first German to win the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship since 1893 in June 2018, automatically qualifying her for the newly-formed event.
“I’m really, really excited to play a tournament with such high quality and density of the field,” Harm told the Houston Chronicle ahead of her appearance at the historical occasion. “Everyone who is there is a phenomenal player. You don’t often see that.”
Harm made her debut in the first round of the tournament at the Champions Retreat Golf Club, where the 21-year-old finished six over par on the 72-par course.
She saw success through the first nine holes Wednesday with a birdie on the second hole and an eagle later in the seventh, but she suffered a setback after six bogies in the back nine of the course.
Joined by head coach Gerrod Chadwell, Harm fared better in the second round Thursday despite an initial holdup.
The first half of the round saw the 2017-2018 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year winner continue her slump after a bogey and two double bogeys early on.
She closed out the first nine with two birdies in the seventh and eighth before an on-par finish on the ninth. The second half of her round finished relatively quietly. Harm birdied in the 13th and bogeyed two holes later, earning her a 76 on the day.
Harm went on to miss the cut after not ranking in the top 30 after 36 holes of play, but fortunately for her, she was still able to play at the renowned Augusta National Golf Club in a practice round Friday that all participants were invited to.
Wake Forest senior Jennifer Kupcho went 10-under to win the tournament after a showdown between her and Arkansas senior Maria Fassi late in the final round.
