EVANS, Ga. — Augusta National Women’s Amateur competitors have to make some tough decisions for tournament week. Outside of who gets to make the trip down Magnolia Lane for Friday’s lauded practice round at Augusta National Golf Club, the next biggest choice is who will caddie.
For Michigan’s Ashley Lau, Oregon State’s Ellie Slama, Stanford’s Caroline Sturdza and Florida State’s Beatrice Wallin, the decision was simple: they kept it in the family. All four players have a sibling on the bag this week, creating moments that neither player nor caddie will soon forget.
“It was super fun having my brother out there. We worked really well together today,” said Slama, who currently sits just outside the cut at T-32 after Wednesday’s first round. “I think just going forward, it’s fun to have family members, people you know, familiar faces out there. It makes it a little bit more calm and easy, and there’s a little less pressure going into it.”
“It’s really special. This is her third time here this year, my first time caddying,” said her brother, Tim, who has been on the bag for her for USGA events and other tournaments in the past. “But this one’s extra special, especially with the likelihood that this is her last year, and it’s an honor to be here.”
After watching from outside the ropes the last two years, Tim said it’s easier to be on the bag than outside the ropes because he has a little control.
“It’s kind of like riding in the car versus driving. Like, I’m not driving the car, but I’m doing navigation,” he explained. “So it’s a little bit easier inside the ropes in terms of the stress levels.”
Not to mention the familiarity siblings share with one another. Whether it’s the chit-chat between shots or the ability to be more direct without hurting feelings, having someone on the bag who knows them better than anyone else is like a 15th club.
“I would say she just knows when to talk and when to not talk and when to leave me alone,” said Lau with a chuckle about her sister, Adeline, who also plays college golf at Eastern Michigan. “It’s better if I tell her directly. I wouldn’t hurt her feelings by staying that, but to a stranger I might. She just knows when to step away and then leave me alone for a little bit which is nice.”
“I know her very well, so I know how to deal with her,” echoed Max Sturdza, who has the bag for his sister, Caroline. “I think it makes a big difference from someone who’s just a random caddie or something like that.
“It’s a big experience for both of us,” continued Max, who also plays college golf at Florida Atlantic. “I think we can learn a lot from all this. It’s so much fun to be out here with her and just enjoy the tournament.”
Things are different for Wallin and her brother, Rickard, who has been on the bag for each of her two previous ANWA appearances that resulted in a pair of made cuts and top-10 finishes (T-7 in 2019 and T-10 in 2021).
“It’s so nice because I can be the boss and be like, ‘Do you really think so? I don’t know,’ and then I make the decision,” Beatrice said of their relationship. “He’s always so supportive with all my decisions, and he did a great job today.”
A few of Rickard’s thoughts even led to key birdies for Beatrice, who sits T-9 at 1 over after the first round. Does that mean he’ll get to make more decisions going forward and take more control? Not quite.
“No, no, no,” Beatrice responded with a smile. “I’m still the boss.”
