Kentucky’s Jensen Castle in contention at 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur despite injury flare up

Contending at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur is challenging enough, let alone doing so with an injury.

That is, unless you’re Jensen Castle.

The Kentucky senior was forced to withdraw from last week’s Clemson Invitational – the final event of the regular season for the Wildcats – with a rib injury, but finds herself T-4 at the 2023 ANWA after a 2-under 70 in the first round of play at Champions Retreat in Evans, Georgia.

“Right now, we’re not really sure what it is,” explained Castle, who noted the injury started as a stress fracture in 2021. “It’s flared up this past week. I don’t know if it was just a lot of golf or tightness, maybe I didn’t stretch well enough, I don’t know. Unfortunate timing for sure, especially with Augusta this week.”

Stanford’s star sophomore and the world’s No. 1 amateur Rose Zhang leads at 6 under, with Ole Miss senior Andrea Lignell in second at 5 under. Georgia fifth year Jenny Bae is solo third at 3 under.

“I was supposed to play on Friday and I took Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday off,” she continued, “so it sounds pretty familiar to the Women’s Am.”

Meet the ANWA field: Americans | Internationals

Two years ago, Castle survived a 12-for-2 playoff just to advance from stroke play to match play at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Westchester Country Club in New York. She then went on to come back in three of six matches to eventually claim the trophy over Arizona’s Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou.

Castle battled the world’s best amateurs once with a rib injury, so why not do it again at one of the game’s most demanding courses?

The first two rounds of the tournament are played at Champions Retreat on Wednesday and Thursday, which is no easy test. Every golfer in the field then makes the 15-mile trip to play a practice round on Friday at Augusta National, before the top-30 and ties compete in the final round at Augusta National on Saturday.

Castle, who grew up two hours north in Columbia, South Carolina, finished T-12 last year in her first appearance at Augusta National and thinks the event is already one of, if not the, biggest in women’s amateur golf.

“This is gonna be as big as the USGA, if not bigger,” said Castle, referencing the U.S Women’s Amateur. “It’s only year four I think, and it is extremely well known. I mean, this is everyone’s dream to get to this tournament, and once you’re here, you cherish every little thing. Everyone looks at you as such a hero and such a role model for the younger generation, which I think is really cool. So this is going to be one of the biggest amateur golf events if not already.”