South Carolina women's golf coach Kalen Anderson is faced with a difficult decision every time the Gamecocks tee it up, but don't think for a second that she's complaining about it.
Her roster is so loaded with talent that players who are credible threats to win the tournament are having to scrap in qualifying just to crack the lineup.
It's a roster so good that four of Anderson's players received invitations to this week's Augusta National Women's Amateur, the most sought-after envelope in women's amateur golf.
Needless to say, it's a great problem to have.
"It just speaks to the depth of our team right now. We have a lot of great players on our team right now. Certainly, we've had a great season thus far and have a lot of work left to do," Anderson said. "I'm very proud of the play of each of the individuals and certainly well-deserved honors for the four that are in the ANWA. I'm very happy for them and their World Amateur Golf Rankings and getting into the ANWA.
"It definitely speaks to the depth of our team. Right now, it's pretty exciting because we have a lot of players scrapping for that lineup. It makes my decision hard for who plays. It's a hard lineup to make right now."
Gamecocks Paula Kirner, Pimnipa Panthong, Ana Pelaez and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard are among the 82 participants who will compete for 36 holes at Champions Retreat on Wednesday and Thursday for a chance to play in Saturday's final round at Augusta National Golf Club.
"It means so much. I've said this many, many times, but we're like a family," said Pelaez. "Having three of my teammates playing the same event with me, it's definitely special. Even though we're competitive, I think we're all very glad we are gonna get to see each other competing in this event."
USC won four of its seven regular season tournaments, including consecutive victories this month at the Valspar Augusta Invitational and Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Athens leading up to their preparations for the SEC and NCAA championships.
The Gamecocks are currently ranked No. 2 in the country in the Women's Golf Coaches Association poll, and they're No. 1 in the Golfstat rankings.
Roussin-Bouchard, a sophomore from France, is Anderson's most dynamic player, a powerful hitter and great putter who her coach said is the complete package.
That's showed on the course, where she's ranked No. 1 in the NCAA and No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. She's won three events this year, each time setting a new program 54-hole scoring record in the process. She also set the program 18-hole scoring record with a 63 en route to victory in February's Moon Golf Invitational.
Pelaez, a senior from Spain, has been right there with her this season, with three top-three finishes in the team's last four tournaments. She's ranked No. 2 in the NCAA and No. 13 in the WAGR.
Anderson said Pelaez is a passionate, energetic player who shows lots of personality on the course. She's the steadiest player on the team and the toughest mentally, Anderson said, and has the best short game. That is something that could give her an edge at courses like Champions Retreat and Augusta National, where touch around the greens is a must.
Her three teammates received invitations to last year's pandemic-canceled event, and those invitations carried over to this year. Pelaez earned her spot based on a string of strong finishes in the fall in Europe, but a mail mix-up had her wondering if maybe she hadn't done enough.
"Funny thing is, the invitation was supposed to be sent home," she said. "One of my friends back home who's also playing in the tournament got the invitation, but I didn't get it. I was like, 'Oh, I thought I was in, but maybe I'm not.'"
She got back to Columbia, where the strength coach came up and said he had something for her – and her three Augusta-bound teammates.
The University of South Carolina's Pimnipa Panthong, then a member of the Kent State women's golf team, played in the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2019. (Artie Walker Jr./Special to the Aiken Standard, File)
"I opened it and, just, oh my God, I started crying," she said with a laugh. "I couldn't hold it. It was definitely a very special moment."
Panthong, a senior from Thailand, is a player who hits a high ball that lands softly on the green. Anderson said she can heat up quickly and post some low scores, but her mild-mannered approach and steady demeanor means it's not easy to tell if she's on her way to a score in the 70s or the low 60s.
She has experience in this event, which should help calm some nerves and may give her an edge over the first-timers. Panthong played in the inaugural ANWA in 2019, then as a member of Kent State's golf team. She was one of the final 30 amateurs to advance to the final round and was just two shots out of the lead heading to Augusta National. She eventually finished tied for 18th.
Kirner, a freshman from Germany, is a stoic but fierce competitor who can make birdies in a hurry – Anderson estimated she may actually be leading the team in that category for the season. Her razor-sharp focus means she's going to find a way to get the job done, even if it's not flashy.
The team's high level of play this season makes this opportunity even more exciting and motivating for the players as they get ready for the biggest stretch of the college season.
And don't think for a second that the teammates won't be keeping an eye on each other's scores this week.
"Honestly, there's always a lot of competitiveness between us," Pelaez said. "I'm pretty sure this time will not be any different."
The idea is to treat this as just another golf tournament, no matter how hard that sounds. Ultimately, it's still golf, and Anderson wants her players to just keep doing what they've been doing – it's obviously been working all season.
"I wrote an email to the team and told them we couldn't ask for anything better in terms of they're hyped for this and they're gonna be preparing hard for it and focused on it," she said. "Obviously, this is a huge, high-level competition for them to be preparing for and getting ready for. Certainly, it's gonna carry over into the SEC Championship, and they'll be well prepared for this and have their games at the highest level."
Anderson has some experience of her own at the ANWA. She caddied for former Gamecock Ainhoa Olarra in 2019 and was on the bag as Olarra made a 25-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to make it to the final round and become one of the first women to play a competitive round at Augusta National.
"First of all, Augusta's obviously gonna do everything first class," Anderson said. "My experience of just being part of the event, it was the greatest event in women's golf – I've participated in women's Opens and different events professionally and amateur-wise and been lucky enough to participate in a lot of different things – but that is kind of the ultimate goal of women's amateur golf.
"Just to have that goal for young women and girls to aspire to, it's such a huge step for women's golf. It's a big step in the right direction. It's gonna make a big impact on our sport and golf in general. It's gonna grow the women's game; and it's gonna grow golf in general, and that's very significant. It can only mean positive things for the future of the game."
Pelaez said the team's camaraderie and friendship means their practice time is fun and productive – there's no wasted time on arguments or anything else to distract them from sharpening their skills. They simply enjoy each other's company and the game, and that's not going to change this week on women's amateur golf's biggest stage.
"I really, really would love to win, but to especially enjoy every single moment," Pelaez said. "I think it's something that happens once in a lifetime, and I'm ready to enjoy every single moment that I spend there."
