April 1, 2024 •Southern Texas PGA
Cooper, Englemann, McMyler, and O’Keefe are ready to shine!
Spring, TX (APRIL 1, 2024) - This week Augusta National Golf Club and Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, GA are hosting the 5th Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA), one of the top female amateur events in the world. It's an honor for the STPGA to see four of our former players earn an exemption into the event and compete against the world’s best amateurs. The four women include Hailee Cooper, Sadie Englemann, Emma McMyler, and Farah O'Keefe.
This event was initiated by Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National, in 2018 to inspire greater interest and participation in the women’s game by creating a new, exciting, and rewarding pathway for these players to fulfill their dreams. The event commences on Wednesday, April 3rd with the final round taking place at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday, April 6th, the day before the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals.
Hailee Cooper of Montgomery, TX played in the STPGA from 2011-2018 and has played for both the University of Texas and Texas A&M. As a freshman at the University of Texas in 2019, she earned First Team All-America honors, won two events, and represented the United States in the 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Cooper was scheduled to compete in the 2021 ANWA but had to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19. She has a long-standing relationship with PGA Teaching Professional EJ Kim at Axis Golf Academy, based at BlackHorse Golf Club, as her swing coach.
“I have been seeing him for 7 years now,” said Cooper, who has her name on almost every trophy in the STPGA Office. “He has been so great at helping me get my swing where it needs to be, but also helping me with the mental side of the game. EJ will be caddying for the event, and I couldn’t be more excited to have him on the bag.”
Sadie Englemann of Austin, TX played in the STPGA from 2012 to 2016 and competed in three of our Championships. She was a four-time Junior All-American in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 before committing to play at Stanford, where she is currently in her senior year. She has had amazing accomplishments highlighted by her first-place finish at the 2023 East Lake Cup and being a member of the National Championship team in 2022.
“I’m excited to see how my game has grown since I last played in this tournament my freshman year, and how my approach to both courses has changed,” said Englemann. “I am also very excited to see some of my best golf friends and take in the magic of Augusta together.”
Emma McMyler of San Antonio, TX played in the STPGA from 2011-2020 and won a total of 30 events over that time. She was San Antonio’s 2019 Junior Girls Player of the Year and qualified for the US Girls' Junior Championship that same summer. She played four years of collegiate golf at Xavier University and is continuing her education at Duke University where she currently plays.
Emma has always had golf in her family and a special relationship with her father, Brian McMyler, PGA of America Member and Teaching Professional at The Dominion Country Club in San Antonio, TX. Emma will make her Augusta National Women's Amateur debut with her dad right alongside.
“He has been my coach since I started playing golf,” said Emma. “I am excited to spend the week together and enjoy the entire experience.”
Farah O’Keefe of Austin, TX played in STPGA junior events from 2016 to 2023 and was a member of our Texas Junior Cup team in 2017. She has captured victories at the George Hannon Junior Invitational and Bluebonnet Championship with the Legends Junior Tour and qualified for the LPGA Volunteers of America Classic on the LPGA Tour in 2021 where she made the cut and finished in T56!
She just began her freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin and has already been named Big 12 Golfer of the Month for February, named to the ANNIKA Award Watch List, and been invited to play in her first Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
“It sank in that all of my hard work had paid off and I was going to have an opportunity to play in one of the most prestigious amateur events in the world, at one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world,” said Farah. “My goal for the week is the same as any other tournament. I want to play the best golf I can, enjoy it, and remember to smell the roses, or in this case, the azaleas.”
The Southern Texas PGA takes pride in its alumni and is thrilled to witness their ongoing success. The first and second rounds of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur will be broadcast live on Golf Channel (1:30-3:30 p.m. ET) from Champions Retreat Golf Club. NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours (12:00-3:00 p.m. ET) of live final-round coverage of the event at Augusta National on Saturday, April 6th, and be sure to check out the DCP National Finals the next day where three current STPGA Junior Golfers will be competing.
Click Here to the ANWA Website.
Click Here to view the STPGA DCP Media Release.
