AUBURN, Ala. – While her peers and her twin brother back home in San Diego prepared for prom and graduation, Anna Davis earned her first collegiate victory Wednesday, leading Auburn to an NCAA regional championship at AU Club.
"The last few events I've played really well," said Davis, who followed an opening-round 73 with back-to-back 3-under-par 69s to finish 5-under and cruise to a 3-shot win. "Eventually it was going to come. Happy to do it at home."
When Davis tapped in for par on No. 18 to complete her title win, she waved in appreciation to the approximately 100 Auburn fans applauding atop the hill overlooking the green.
"It's so nice to have a home event and have people cheering for you, which you don't really get often," Davis said. "Having a ton of support is really nice."
Sensing Anna's potential before she ascended to the top of the junior golf rankings, Auburn assistant coach Kim Hall recommended Davis to head coach Melissa Luellen, who began the recruiting process.
"She adds a huge firepower to our team," Luellen said. "The maturity she brings. She's so stoic on the golf course and such a fun kid off the golf course."
'Huge firepower': In her first semester on the Plains, early enrollee Anna Davis won the NCAA Auburn Regional
Getting a recruiting head start paid off as Davis piled up accolades, winning the 2021 Girls Junior PGA Championship, then claiming a trophy at one of golf's iconic venues, earning attention from the world's most famous golfer.
On her X (formerly Twitter) account, Anna's lone entry is a repost from Tiger Woods, who congratulated then-16-year-old Anna for winning the 2022 Augusta National Women's Amateur.
I will be heading up to Augusta today to continue my preparation and practice. It will be a game-time decision on whether I compete. Congratulations to 16-year-old Anna Davis on an amazing win at the @anwagolf and good luck to all the kids in the @DriveChipPutt.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 3, 2022
"I played junior golf for a really long time," Davis said. "I was ready for the next thing. I finished high school early and told and told Coach (Melissa Luellen) when I committed that I wanted to come early, and she was on board."
Missing out on some of the traditional teenage rites of passage was, for Davis, a small price to pay.
"I don't mind," she said. "Not my thing."
Attending college 2,000 miles from home was only one of Anna's adjustments.
"A new environment, a completely different way of doing things," she said. "I did online school, so going in-person to classes. Golf-wise, playing for a team and not just yourself. Things like that took a little while to get used to, trying to find a new routine.
"I didn't want to go to school on the West (Coast), I wanted something different. I love California, I've grown up there my whole life but I didn't want to go to school near there."
When Anna's twin brother, Billy, made a recruiting visit to Auburn, Anna tagged along. Billy, who like Anna ranked No. 1 in his recruiting class, will join his sister on the Plains this fall.
"After my visit, I didn't want to leave," Anna said. "I just knew that was the school for me."
Davis immediately impressed her new teammates, including 2023 U.S. Women's Amateur champion Megan Schofill, who finished second to Anna in the NCAA Auburn Regional.
"Anna has been a great addition to the team," Schofill said. "She's a great person on and off the golf course. She's always the same, if she's playing the best golf of her life or the worst golf of her life. That speaks to the kind of person and teammate she is.
"I couldn't ask for someone better who comes in the middle of the year who wants to fit in, work hard and be a great teammate."
Davis leans on senior teammates Schofill and Anna Foster for leadership.
"They've both been really great role models," Davis said. "They've been around a long time and experienced a lot of things. I look up to them in a lot of ways. They've been great teammates and I'm going to be sad when they're gone."
Davis and her seasoned teammates will compete together once more at the NCAA Championships May 17-22 in Carlsbad, California, just 40 miles north of Anna's home course in San Diego.
The next adventure for a California kid well on her way to becoming an Auburn woman.
Ticket punched: Anna Davis (second from right) helped the Tigers win the Auburn Regional to advance to the NCAA Championships near her hometown
🎟️ 🥊 @AuburnWGolf wins its regional & advances to NCAAs behind medalist @superannadavis ⤵️
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) May 9, 2024
"It's so nice to have a home event & have people cheering for you."
Anna graduated HS early to come to Auburn all the way from San Diego
"After my visit, I didn't want to leave." pic.twitter.com/VmICoCf0EL
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer