Augusta National Women’s Amateur: Hannah Darling goes nuclear, sets birdie record

Darling set a record on Day 1 of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur as she went low to set the tone.

On Day 1 of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the scoring conditions were ideal, especially for South Carolina Gamecock junior Hannah Darling.

She fired off a 6-under 66 Wednesday, including eight birdies and two bogeys. Those eight birdies on her scorecard were a record for ANWA, per Golf Channel.

Her 66 gave her the Day 1 lead. She looked comfortable in her third appearance at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Darling birdied her first three holes of the day and made six of her eight on the front nine.

Her first birdie was a 10-foot downhill putt. Then she made a 30-footer on the second hole, and her third straight birdie was just over four feet long. She bogeyed the next two holes but didn’t let that get her off track.

Darling would birdie three of her next four holes. She also made birdies on the par-5 14th and par-3 17th at Champions Retreat Golf Course in Evans, Georgia.

Darling’s best finish previously came in 2022 when she tied for 22nd. She missed the cut last year by one shot.

With South Carolina, she already has three top-10s this season. Darling also won the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate on March 6.

Despite a strong first day, the 20-year-old struggled in Round 2. She made four bogeys on her front nine. Darling isn’t out of it yet, as she still sits inside the top 10 as of this writing.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.