Indian teen Anika shows liking for big stage, qualifies for US Women’s Four-ball in 2021

Anika Varma. and Meghan Royal. Pic: Courtesy Arizona Golf Association/ Twitter

MESA, Arizona, Sept 23: Anika Varma is beginning to love the big stage. In less than 15 months, the 16-year-old from Delhi, who is now based in California, has played two prestigious USGA events and qualified for a third. Anika, who recently became the first Indian woman to play the US Women’s Amateur, has now combined with another 16-year-old Californian Meghan Royal to qualify for the sixth US Women’s Four-ball Championship.

Anika and Meghan combined to card 10-under 62 to win by four shots at a qualifier at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Four-Ball to be held from April 24-28, 2021 at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas.

Finishing four shots behind them were Sydney Bryan and Grace Summerhays.

The US Women’s Four-ball will be Anika’s third USGA competition after the US Women’s Amateur Girls 2019 where she reached the Round of 32 and then the US Women’s Amateur 2020, where she was eliminated after stroke play.

Varma, a Junior at Granite Bay High School in Roseville, is coached by Noah Montgomery, who also coaches one of India’s leading pros, Gaganjeet Bhullar and American John Catlin, a recent winner on the European Tour.

The card of 62 from Meghan and Anika included eight birdies and an eagle. Meghan had six birdies and an eagle, but she also had a bogey and on three other occasions, she was backed up by Anika’s birdies and pars. It was excellent teamwork Anika stood up to the challenge when Meghan erred. Anika parred the par-4 sixth which Meghan bogeyed and then Anika birdied the par-3 seventh. On 14th and 15th Anika made crucial pars as Meghan faltered and then the Indian also birdied the 18th.

Now ranked 215th in the world, Varma, said, “We played according to each other, which helped us a lot just because we knew when a person was confident and wasn’t.”

She added, “I feel like it’s going to be really interesting because it’s going to be completely different than how you generally play. We’re going to be playing for each other and that’s going to motivate us more than playing for yourself. It should be fun.”

Her partner, Meghan, a junior at Carlsbad High School, said, “We complimented each other a lot, we kind of just had one of us make par and the other just go for it and play aggressive and see if we could make birdie.”

USGA qualifying officially returned to action after COVID-19 forced golf associations to postpone, and in some cases cancel, qualifiers in 2020.

The 2021 U.S. Four-Ball Championship qualifiers are the first to resume, where a total of 64 teams across 29 states will advance to the 2021 women’s championship in April, 2021.

Bryan and Summerhays birdied four of their last six holes to finish with a 6-under 66, and advance to a five-for-one sudden death playoff. A birdie on the first playoff hole proved to be the deciding moment the team picked up the second and final qualifying spot.

The US women’s Four-ball Competition will feature 64 teams of two players each. They will go through two stages. In the first, they will play two stroke play rounds of 18 holes each, at the end of which 32 top teams will go to the match play segment. For the match play segment, a draw based on qualifying scores will be used.

The first day of match play will see the Round of 32 matches, followed by Round of 16 and Quarter finals the following day. The third day will see 18-hole semi-final followed by an 18-hole final.

 

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