Augusta National Golf Club recognized Greenbrier girls golf state champs at 2024 ANWA
The Greenbrier girls golf team likely experienced the greatest excused absence in the history of the school Wednesday.
The reigning Georgia High School Association Class 5A state champions didn’t go far from campus, however. Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley recognized the Lady Pack on the first tee ahead of the first round of the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
The team is no stranger to Champions Retreat, but Wednesday’s experience was an exciting first for everyone.
“That’s what I keep telling the girls,” Greenbrier coach Casey Heckathorn said. “This is a familiar place to us. We get to practice here, we get to play here some. This is familiar, but don’t take any of it for granted. This is really special.”
The accolades have been rolling in for the Lady Pack since winning the title. The Columbia County Board of Education recognized the team in August of 2023. The news of Wednesday’s ceremony came about five or six weeks ago when Augusta National presented the team with its tickets before a match.
“We had some success as a team and with that has come some really cool fruits, but then Augusta National reaches out and says, ‘Girls, we’d really love to have you out at our tournament this year,’ that’s the first holy cow,” Heckathorn said. “When we get here and get on the first tee, we’ve got some people talking to us, Fred Ridley comes and speaks to our girls, I’ve stopped them a couple times and said, ‘You need to breathe this in. There are people all over the world that are going to be jealous of your experience.’”
The only downside was that the two seniors from the state championship team could not make it back in town. Anna Wicklum (Methodist) and Manuela Pacheco Gonzalez (Webber International) are in their freshman seasons of college golf.
“I think their FOMO (fear of missing out) is at a pretty high level right now, but part of them are here,” Heckathorn said. “Our girls carry them with us.”
The Lady Pack picks up its 2024 season April 18 against Grovetown at Bartram Trail.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Greenbrier girls golf honored at Augusta National Women's Amateur
