Pep talk to herself helps Emilia Migliaccio rally to make cut at Augusta National Women’s Am

Emilia Migliaccio has a kind voice. A knowing and assured voice, but kind in manner.

That voice was a little more stern on Thursday, even if no one else could hear it.

Emilia, that voice said, you’ve been doing that all day.

That voice – that inner voice – was trying to tell the 23-year-old that she had been re-adjusting the start line on her putts and, consequently, she was 5 over par on her round and in danger of missing the cut at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

A missed cut at Champions Retreat meant no official round at Augusta National, a place where Migliaccio finished runner-up in 2021. So outside the number with three holes to play, Migliaccio’s inner-voice, in as kind and matter-of-fact a way as possible, told her, Just putt it.

Full-field scores from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur

And so she did at the par-4 seventh hole, facing a “downhill, double-break [from] 30 feet.” She had just missed a short birdie putt on the previous hole and wondered to herself, Did you just screw it up?

That was the devil on her shoulder. The inner voice actually said, Emilia, you can definitely make two more birdies in these last couple of holes.

She more than obliged and made three.

Migliaccio trusted her line and rolled in that 30-footer for her first birdie of the day. “Yes!” she exclaimed, adding a “C’mon!” She pumped her fist and fist-bumped her caddie, her fiancé, Charlie Doran.

Migliaccio had lots of support on hand, saying after her round, “I have my mom, and then Charlie’s family – his mom, his grandfather and his uncle.” Her Wake Forest coach, Kim Lewellen, also joined the group, just in time to see her fifth-year senior go on a run.

After getting to 3 over par, with the projected cut line teetering between plus-3 and plus-2, Migliaccio found some security by nearly acing the par-3 eighth, her tee shot perfectly navigating the slope to within 2 feet of the hole.

Her final hole, the par-5 ninth, was a little more routine: tee shot, 3-wood to the back fringe, two putts for birdie.

Made-cut secured, inner voice pleased.

Migliaccio is one of 31 players who will compete in Saturday’s final round at Augusta National. All 72 in the field will get a practice round on Friday.

Southern Cal’s Amari Avery, who birdied her final two holes, and former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Jensen Castle, who birdied her final hole, made the cut on the number at 2 over.

Migliaccio’s Wake Forest teammate, Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, wasn’t as fortunate. She horseshoed a short par putt on her final hole to miss by one. Others who didn’t qualify for the final round included Anna Davis. The defending champion suffered four penalty strokes in the opening round for implementing lift, clean and place in an area that was not mown at fairway height or less. Her second-round 72 wasn’t enough to overcome the error and she finished at 4 over.

LSU senior and world amateur No. 2 Ingrid Lindblad, who finished T-2 last year, also missed the cut, shooting 78-74. Wake senior and world No. 4 Rachel Kuehn, who made a run at the title last year with a 69 at ANGC, finished this year at 9 over.

Migliaccio, meanwhile, stands at 1 over. She’s 14 shots behind leader Rose Zhang, who is five clear of second place. A victory might not be on the horizon this time around, but after missing the cut last year, another opportunity awaits – a chance to play competitively at Augusta National.