OAKVILLE, On. – Three Canadians have been invited to compete alongside many of the world’s top aspiring golfers at the seventh annual Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) in Augusta, Ga. from April 1-4.
Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont., Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. and Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. will represent Canada in the field and in doing so will set a record for the number of Canadians competing in a single year at ANWA.
Deng, 15, is currently ranked No. 13 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and is Canada’s lowest ranked amateur golfer. Last season, Deng won the 76th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, becoming the first Canadian to win the title in tournament history and earned exemptions into ANWA and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open. She added two additional junior titles last season including the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open and was named junior player of the year by the American Junior Golf Association. Deng also earned the Marlene Stewart Streit Medal, finishing as the Low Amateur at the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, finishing T20 at 4-under.
“I am honoured and excited to be invited to play in the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. It will be my first appearance at the event, and I am looking forward to competing with the best amateur players in the world at such a historic location in April,” said Deng.
Kim, 20, is currently ranked No. 18 on WAGR and will be competing in her third consecutive ANWA, the most appearances by a Canadian. Kim finished T14 in her debut in 2024, tying Monet Chun for the best result by a Canadian at the event. Kim is currently in her Junior year at the University of Texas and has earned two collegiate titles to date. The first in her freshman year at the Jackson T Stephens Cup and last year at the Betsy Rawls Invitational. Last season, Kim added eight top 10 finishes and represented Canada at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships. She also competed in her third consecutive CPKC Women’s Open last August.
“Receiving an invitation to play for the third time at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur is really an honour and I think that as my amateur career is coming to a close and I am graduating in a year, I’m just even more honoured to be able to go play at Augusta, especially knowing that when I turn professional, I won’t get this opportunity ever again.”
It’s such a special event, it’s magical and being in Augusta and being on the grounds and playing such a prestigious golf course is really fun and these memories that you make at events like this last forever. I am honestly looking forward to this event, April couldn’t come sooner and I am excited to be there with two other Canadians in the field,” said Kim.
Borovilos, 19, is currently ranked No. 31 on WAGR and will be competing in her first ANWA, however it will not be her first trip to Augusta National. Borovilos will be making her fifth appearance having competed in four Drive, Chip and Putt Championships, and won the 2018 championship in the Girls 10-11 age division. Borovilos is currently in her sophomore year at Texas A&M University. Last season, she earned her first collegiate title at the Chevron Collegiate in February 2025 and added three runner-up finishes during her freshman year. Borovilos also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open, her first time competing in the major championship. This season, Borovilos has earned a T2 finish at the Carmel Cup and T16 at the Folds of Honor Collegiate. She also competed in her third consecutive CPKC Women’s Open last August.
“Not many things can beat the feeling you get when driving down Magnolia Lane. It’s going to be a fun three months gearing up for April. I can’t wait to experience Augusta in the prime condition we all see on television,” said Borovilos.
The ANWA features a field of 72 amateurs competing over 54 holes of stroke play with a cut following 36 holes. The opening rounds will be contested at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. on Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2. The top 30 players and ties will advance to the final round at Augusta National on Saturday, April 4. The entire field will play a practice round there one day prior on Friday.
The first two rounds of the ANWA will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. ET. NBC will air the final round on April 4 from Noon – 3:00 p.m. ET.
For more information on the ANWA including past results, click here.
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