Suzy Whaley Caddying for Niece Phoebe Brinker at Augusta National Women's Amateur

The Augusta National Women's Amateur is off and running from Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, Georgia, with 72 of the best amateurs in the world competing for a chance to play Augusta National . . . and win the title of Champion.

PGA Past President Suzy Whaley knows all about playing in big-time events, and that experience will be well-served this week, as she's on the bag for her niece, Phoebe Brinker, in Georgia.

Whaley, who was PGA of America President from 2018-20, competed in the 2003 Greater Hartford Open, making her the first woman to qualify for a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias in 1945. She's also a PGA of America Hall of Famer with a wealth of golf knowledge, so she'll make for a fantastic caddy for Brinker.

“We just have so much fun together and she really lightens the mood and loosens me up, instills the confidence in me that I need,” Brinker told The Augusta Chronicle. “So overall, yeah, it's a great pairing.”

Whaley agrees, sharing that the aunt-niece dynamic and Brinker's demeanor make the duo a perfect combination.

"For Phoebe, I love being an aunt out here,” Whaley said. “I’ve been her coach, I’m her aunt, I’m her confidant, but for us to get to walk these fairways together and have the opportunity to watch her play in this — I know this is her fourth time, but this is my first time inside the ropes with her, so I’m excited to be a part of it and I’m just here to help."