Augusta, Georgia, United States: Eila Galitsky’s stock continues to rise. The Thai teenager fired a stunning closing six-under-par 66 to soar into a share of fourth place in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA).
While victory went to Spaniard Carla Bernat Escuder, it was Galitsky who had the distinction of posting the low score at Augusta National, her round including five birdies, an eagle at the par-five eighth and a solitary bogey at the 10th.
Galitsky ended with a 54-hole total of eight-under 208 having signed for scores of 70 and 72 in the opening two rounds at the Champions Retreat Golf Club.
In finishing equal fourth, Galitsky continued her sequence of improving in each of her three appearances here. On her debut in 2023 she missed the cut and last year she tied for eighth, signing off with a 74 at Augusta National.
Winner of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) in 2023, Galitsky, now aged 18, has enjoyed a memorable start to 2025.
In January, she played a key role in the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation’s (APGC) victorious Patsy Hankins Trophy team that defeated their European Golf Association counterparts in the Solheim Cup-style match play event.
In the final-day singles in the United Arab Emirates, Galitsky beat Lottie Woad, number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), in the lead match.
In late February, she announced her arrival on the American college golfing scene in suitably dramatic fashion. In just her second start for the University of South Carolina, Galitsky triumphed in the Moon Golf Invitational, defeating Woad in a sudden-death play-off.
At the ANWA, Galitsky was the highest-placed finisher among the five Asia-Pacific representatives who made the cut - a performance that will see her close in on a place in the top-10 in the WAGR.
Fellow-Thai Achiraya Sriwong toured Augusta National in even-par 72 and ended in joint 18th on one-under 215.
That was one stroke in front of Japan’s Mamika Shinchi (tied 22nd, 216) and four ahead of Ko Kurabayashi (tied 30th, 219).
Korean Jung Min-seo, the leading Asia-Pacific player at Champions Retreat, found Augusta National a more testing proposition, her 83 including two sevens and an eight as she ended 32nd on eight-over 224.
At the top end of the leaderboard, Kansas State University’s Bernat Escuder signed off with a 68, repelling the challenges of American Asterisk Talley and England’s Woad, the defending champion.
With birdies at 16 and 17, Talley narrowed the gap on Bernat Escuder to just one shot. Both players parred the last.
Woad, joint overnight leader, saw her hopes of becoming the first player to defend the ANWA title disappear on the back nine with a double-bogey six at 10 and a costly four at the short 16th. Her even-par 72 left her three shots adrift of the new champion and two behind second-placed Talley.
