Jensen Castle, Laney Frye Poised for Augusta National Women’s Amateur
AUGUSTA, Ga. – All-Americans and University of Kentucky women’s golfers Jensen Castle and Laney Frye are poised to compete in the prestigious 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur from April 3-6, hosted at Champions Retreat Golf Club and Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
The championship features an international field of 72 players, who will compete over 54 holes of stroke play. The first round and second round will be held at the unique Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat on Wednesday and Thursday, while the final round, which includes the top 30 and ties, will be held at the esteemed Augusta National on Saturday.
The entire field will receive an official practice round at Augusta National on Friday, regardless of making the cut.
Castle will tee off in the first round at 8:12 a.m. ET in Group 3, while Frye is at 9:44 a.m. ET in Group 20. Their pairings are as follows:
Group 3 – 8:12 a.m. ET
- Eila Galitsky
- Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
- Jensen Castle
Group 20 – 9:44 a.m. ET
- Rianne Malixi
- Latanna Stone
- Laney Frye
Big Blue Nation will be able to watch the tournament on Golf Channel and NBC. The broadcast schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday (first round) – Golf Channel Live Coverage from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET
- Thursday (second round) – Golf Channel Live Coverage from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET
- Friday (practice round) – Golf Channel Live from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET
- Saturday (final round) – NBC Live Coverage from noon-3 p.m. ET
Frye, a Nicholasville, Kentucky, native, is currently the 37th-ranked college golfer in the country and the 58th-ranked amateur in the world, while Castle, a West Columbia, South Carolina, native, is the 178th-ranked college golfer in the nation and the 109th-ranked amateur in the world.
It is Frye’s second straight appearance at the championship (2023, 2024), while it is Castle’s third straight appearance at the ANWA (2022, 2023, 2024). In 2023, Frye formed an 8-over-par 152, missing the cut by just four shots. Castle has made the cut each year, with her best finish coming on a 5-over-par 221 to share 12th place in 2022.
The Wildcats are each coming off their best full seasons of golf in their careers, setting the best and second-best, single-season stroke averages in program history. In fact, the Cats have claimed the top-five, single-season stroke averages in program history:
- Laney Frye – 30 rounds, 70.96 stroke average in 2022-23
- Jensen Castle – 27 rounds, 71.77 stroke average in 2022-23
- Jensen Castle – 17 rounds, 71.88 stroke average in 2019-20
- Jensen Castle – 29 rounds, 72.72 stroke average in 2021-22
- Laney Frye – 30 rounds, 72.76 stroke average in 2021-22
Frye has 60 career rounds of par-or-better, including 27 career rounds in the 60s, both of which are school records. Meanwhile, Castle has 54 career rounds of par-or-better, including 21 career rounds in the 60s, which is the second-best in program history.
Frye and Castle are well acquainted with the big stage, with Frye earning co-medalist honors in the stroke-play competition at the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2022 and Castle winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2021.
The Wildcats can expect a chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
For more information on the championship, visit ANWAgolf.com.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s golf team, follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
