Photo courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club. Gianna Clemente, of the United States, tees off on hole No. 7 during the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday.

Augusta National Golf Club is hallowed ground in the history of golf.

Just attending the course for tournament play is a bucket-list experience, much less getting the chance to play it. It’s the most exclusive golf club in the world, and only the best of the best ever get the chance to walk its lush fairways, hit out of the neatly-maintained pinestraw or read its famously undulating greens.

The vast majority of golfers will never even make the entrance to Augusta National down Magnolia Lane, much less play it. But now 16-year-old Gianna Clemente can say she’s played the course twice under tournament circumstances.

After making the final round cut for the second consecutive year, the Warren native managed to finish tied for fifth at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Saturday. Clemente shot a 1-over 73 during the final round, which put her at 2-under overall, six shots behind tournament champion and Florida State sophomore Lottie Woad, who finished 8-under.

It was a step forward for one of the world’s top-ranked junior golfers, after she finished tied for 14th last year and closed with a 4-over round and finished at 3-over overall.

“I think just the competition inspires me. It really does,” Clemente said during a tournament press conference. “Being able to get out here and compete at the highest level, even if it’s just in a smaller event, being able to compete is what keeps me going and what drives me to keep getting better.”

After opening her round with three straight bogeys on Saturday, Clemente dug herself an early hole and had to climb back up the leaderboard. She was able to recover over the final few holes, as she closed out with birdies on the 15th and 16th holes.

Clemente entered Saturday’s final round in the final group with Woad, tied for second and two shots off the lead after two rounds at nearby Champion’s Retreat. She fired a 2-under 70 in round one, followed by a 1-under 71 during the second round.

Having one of the early tee times for the second round, at one point during the day, she sat alone at the top of the leaderboard. But still, Clemente and the rest of the field had to fight through tough, windy conditions all week.

She had three birdies and just one bogey in the first round, but fought through an up-and-down second round that consisted of five birdies and four bogeys.

“I put two really good rounds together with some tough conditions. So, it was a really good couple days,” Clemente said. “There were a couple bogeys in the beginning that got a little bit off track, and we did a really good job coming back from that.”

In her first experience in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last year, Clemente said she was just grateful to be able to have the opportunity to participate and compete.

“I said from the very beginning last year that my goal was just to make the cut,” Clemente said. “I wanted to play Augusta National under competition so badly. I’m not going to say it didn’t matter where I was, but I just wanted to play it under competition.”

But this year, with her father, Patrick, back on the bag, she arrived at Augusta hoping to build on that prior experience and contend.

As one of the youngest players in the field once again, she did that and then some.

“Playing this tournament last year I feel like I had a little bit of lower expectations just because it was my first year; I didn’t really know what to expect,” Clemente said. “But I said the expectations were just a little bit higher this year just because I’ve played Champions Retreat so much and I feel very comfortable on (that) golf course.

“I feel like coming into this week, I wanted a little bit more than that. Obviously to make the cut and play (Augusta National) in competition again, but I think maybe just being in one of the leading groups and having the bigger crowds and more pressure. I think I wanted a little bit more out of this week.”

Have an interesting story? Contact Neel Madhavan by email at nmadhavan@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NeelMadhavan.