Canada’s Lauren Kim returns to Augusta playing elite golf for Texas Longhorns

Lauren Kim's first time playing in the Augusta National Women's Amateur was a singular experience. Not just because it's one of the most historic golf courses in North America, but because she played the final round of the elite tournament alone.

Kim had made the cut at Augusta last year but, because there was an odd number of competitors, she wound up playing her final round alongside a marker. Effectively playing by herself worked because she fired a 71 — one of the few to score under par that day — to tie for 14th.

"I wasn't comparing myself to another player in the field," she said. "I think that's what made it more fun, because I was by myself, and I had no idea what was going on in other groups, and I was just playing golf, and I had crowds with me. 

"I almost made a hole-in-one on No. 16, which is very exciting, because I had a lot of friends and people watching me on that hole, and I almost pulled it out and made the crowd go wild. That round in general was so fun and special, I think it's pretty hard to forget."