DLHS alum Kate Smith invited to 2021 Augusta National Women Am

Photo by Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications

Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM)-

Detroit Lakes alum Kate Smith has built an impressive resume in her young golf career.

Smith, a 2016 graduate of DLHS, was a five-time state champion in high school. She continued her career at the University of Nebraska where she has established herself as one of the great golfers in the history of the program: First Team All-Big 10 in 2020, the Mary Fossum Award (given to the conference’s golfer with the best stroke average), as well as school records for career stroke average and the lowest score for 18, 36, and 54 holes. Smith is also a two-time winner of the Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur and has made the Big Ten All-Academic list three straight years.

But perhaps the biggest honor arrived at her home in Detroit Lakes last week.

“I got a UPS notification that I had received a package from Augusta National,” Smith told the KDLM Sports Wrap on Monday. “They sent it to my Minnesota address so I called my mom and told her to go straight home and open it up. She FaceTimed me and pulled out that bright green envelope with the gold foil…I was in shock. I’m tearing up just thinking about it.”

Smith had received an invitation to play in the 2021 Augusta National Women’s Am tournament at the end of March.

The Augusta National Women’s Am, now in its second year of competition, was a huge step for the course in Augusta, Georgia. Until 2012, women weren’t allowed membership at the private club.

“Ever since that tournament was announced it’s been a huge goal of mine. With how the last few years have been, I kind of thought I was just outside the bubble. It’s the top 72 women in the world so there’s not a lot of margin for error to get into that field.”

The first two rounds of the event will be held at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta on March 31st and April 1st. After 36 holes, the field will be trimmed 30 with the final round at Augusta National on April 3rd.

While Augusta is planning on having spectators at the event, Smith says tickets will be pretty hard to come by.

“At the first event, the players only got a few guests that they could bring on the grounds. Now with COVID, I don’t know how that’s going to work. I just hope that I can bring my family…my dad, my mom, my brother and my caddie as well. I hope I can share the experience with as many people as I can.”

LISTEN TO OUR FULL INTERVIEW WITH KATE SMITH HERE: