An impressive season of amateur golf has taken Canada’s Monet Chun to one of the most storied courses in the world.
Chun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., teed off at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Wednesday, the lone Canadian entry in the third edition of the tournament. She earned her way into the field after being a medallist as part of Michigan’s championship team at the 2022 Big Ten Women’s golf tournament and winning that year’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
“I do think everything just kind of came together as steps and one led to the other,” said Chun as she travelled to Augusta, Ga. “The U.S. Am and then the CP Women’s Open all came after winning the Canadian Am and the Canadian Am came after the Big 10 win.
“So everything came step by step, but it definitely does feel like the Augusta invitation came after my whole season last year.”
Chun’s Canadian Am win granted her first-ever CP Women’s Open appearance at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club last August.
Her impressive 2022 also included being a runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, a ninth-place finish at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, reaching the Round of 16 at the North & South Women’s Amateur and a tie for fifth at the Women’s Orlando International Amateur.
All those accomplishments contributed to her invitation to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which Davidstarted in 2019. The 22-year-old Chun said that playing in the relatively new tournament quickly became a goal of hers once it was established.
“Going out and representing Canada in the first couple of years of the tournament is such a huge responsibility and just a huge opportunity for myself,” said Chun.
Her sister Adele is serving as her caddy at Augusta and Golf Canada’s head women’s coach Salimah Mussani is also at the course. Chun’s keeping her goals simple despite the magnitude of the event.