ASU’s Forsterling, Menne to play in Augusta event
Ashley Menne thought an email she received was just another notification for a package she ordered.
But the address of the package was what made her look twice.
“I got the email that something was coming in from Augusta, Georgia and at that point in time, I was ordering a lot of stuff online and I was like, 'Wait, I don’t think I ordered anything from Augusta? I don’t remember ordering anything in the last day,” Menne, a sophomore golfer at Arizona State, said.
However, her parents had better news for her about the mail. Menne was among the top 85 women’s amateur golfers in the world and will be heading to the Augusta Women’s National Amateur.
Menne and teammate Alexandra Forsterling will compete in 54 holes of stroke play beginning March 30 and extending to the final round on April 2. The two traveled to Augusta following the final day of the host PING/ASU Invitational in which Forsterling finished first and ASU took the team title.
In just its third year of existence, Forsterling and Menne are the sixth and seventh Sun Devils to play at the most prestigious female amateur event in the country. ASU commit Paula SchulzHanssen will be playing at the invite.
“It’s the most special women’s amateur event in the world. It’s such a fantastic experience that they’ll have the rest of their lives. Twenty years from now, they’re going to say, I played at ANWA. That signifies that they were one of the best players in the world,” ASU coach Missy Farr-Kaye said.
Menne, a product out of Xavier Prep, made a seamless transition to ASU in her freshman year last season when she finished fourth at the NCAA Championships. Menne carded a 65 in the third round to tie for the third-lowest round in ASU history.
In her sophomore year, Menne has stepped out of her shell as she prepares for a growing leadership role in the coming years with two seniors graduating and one junior on the team.
“Ashley had such a good junior career and high school career here that it’s really great to watch her grow as a collegiate player and as an amateur player and achieve things she probably didn’t think she was capable of,” Farr-Kaye said.
Forsterling’s resilience has carried her into having one of the best seasons of her career for her final season at ASU. Forsterling was named Pac-12 Golfer of the Month in January and is currently ranked No. 5 in the Golfweek/Sagarin women's collegiate golf rankings.
The senior from Germany dealt with the unexpected passing of her dad while playing at ASU in her sophomore year and has worked her way back to her passion on the course.
“She was really close to her dad and it has been a long and arduous process for her to really find her joy in golf again because he was so tied to it. I’m just really proud of the player she is and last summer, something started to click again. She’s always been capable of so much, but it’s always been great to see the fruits of her labor,” Farr-Kaye said.
“It really was so devastating with her dad, and it was tough for her to be herself. I think nobody would be happier for her than her dad that she’s come out of the other side stronger and finding her space and that role,” she added.
Forsterling was with the German national team when she received the news of an upcoming invitation to ANWA. She immediately told her mom, but the news wasn’t a big surprise.
“She was really excited because I told her and updated her. She probably knew how the standing was before me, so she was obviously super excited for me,” Forsterling said.
ASU’s heavy presence in the event’s recent history has guided Forsterling and Menne as they’ve turned to advice from teammates past and present. Alessandra Fanali, Forsterling’s roommate and fellow senior, has been beneficial, along with former program standout Olivia Mehaffey.
Forsterling will have a chance to give advice herself at the event when she sees fellow German, Schulz-Hanssen. Schulz-Hanssen is the No. 2 recruit in the NCAA and will be making her second ANWA appearance.
“She’s an awesome player and such a nice girl. I’m a little sad that I’m going to miss her because I’m going to leave when she comes. It probably would’ve been nice to have been on the same team when she’s coming at least,” Forsterling said. “I’m happy for her, I know she’ll have a lot of fun here and she’ll have a great experience with a nice place to practice and a nice place to get better. I think she will really enjoy it.”
The first two rounds will be played over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on Wednesday and Thursday. The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round Friday. The final round will take place at Augusta National on Saturday, April 2, and will feature the top 30 competitors who made the cut.
NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday.