Catie Craig will have both eyes on the course at all times this week.

The Western Kentucky senior women’s golfer is one of just 72 players invited to take part in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur running from Wednesday through Saturday in Augusta, Georgia. If Craig makes it through the first two rounds of stroke play competition on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club among the top 30, she will move on to Saturday’s final round at Augusta National – the same course that will host the 89th Masters Tournament just a week later.

For a Georgia native – Craig’s hometown of Sautee Nacoochee is about 2 1/2 hours away – playing the venerable Augusta National is a huge accomplishment. Craig said she’s been to Augusta just once, about 10 years ago.

“Being from Georgia, I think it’s really cool to represent,” Craig said. “I believe I might be the only Georgian playing in the tournament, so that’s pretty special.

” … I’m treating really just like any other tournament, as if it’s another college or amateur event. I don’t want to make it too big – just keep it very physical and try and keep the emotions out.”

As part of an international field representing 18 different countries and five continents, Craig is already in select company. Her goal is to make that final round to compete at Augusta National – all the players in the field will get to play a practice round on the course regardless of whether they advance to the finals, but Craig wants to make the cut. The consensus is that par, or maybe a stroke or two over, during the first two rounds should be enough to land in Saturday’s final field.

While Craig hasn’t played Augusta before, she did get in a round at Champions Retreat – albeit while dealing with a consistent 30 mph wind. That course seemed to suit her game.

“There’s a lot of dogleg rights, so I’m left-handed playing a draw so that suits my eye,” Craig said. “The greens are massive and then the par 3s are very difficult, so that kind of gives me an idea of what I really need to work on to get there.”

Even though Craig doesn’t have first-hand knowledge of Augusta National yet, she’s done her homework on the course – that’s a natural part of her preparation.

“I’ve done a lot of research on it,” Craig said. “I’ve been working with some podcasts and websites who have been wanting some of my input and research on it. My interest in golf course architecture just brings me to looking at the history of the course, which I can kind of use to my advantage and my strategy on how to play it – kind of understand what the designers wanted to do, try and trick you or be elusive with all the strategy.”

Majoring in agriculture (soil agronomy and horticulture) at WKU, Craig plans to someday work as a golf course architect. Before college, Craig would draw up her own holes for a future course. Her field of study helped Craig understand water runoff and soil makeup, among the many facets of golf course design, and has given her a technical eye while playing a course that has helped her game.

“I look at angles into greens, how the green might be pitched a certain way in relation to the pin location, which then might make you then have to figure a different aim point off the tee,” Craig said. “The location of the pin might determine where you aim or what club you hit off the tee with. And then I look at the natural undulations, kind of seeing where the water flows so I can understand the slopes and where my ball might roll to. And then maybe just high points, wanting to get on higher areas so I have a clear shot to the hole.”

She gained more knowledge interning at Indian Hills Country Club, working on the course – waking up at 4 a.m. to get ready to work until midday or so, mowing fairways or rolling greens, cutting cups, raking traps, aerating – anything and everything needed to maintain the course.

“It was a lot of fun,” Craig said. “I really respect the amount of work it takes to make a course so pristine. I really respect all of it and I think it’s a good perspective.”

Craig is already among the most accomplished women’s golfers in WKU history, with five individual victories in here career and a slew of top-10 finishes. Craig already has a pair of top-10 finishes in the spring, including a runner-up finish at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational that helped the Lady Toppers claim the team title in February.

“Starting off with a runner-up, that was really pleasing to do again,” Craig said. “I had a little hiccup in the second tournament, but some of it was equipment-based – I’ve been in the middle of switching over to new clubs and all of that. I finally have all 14 clubs where they need to be, all adjusted to where I want it. I’ve been talking with my swing coach a lot, my mental coach, getting that all honed in so I feel a lot more comfortable compared to a few weeks ago.”

Being in that right frame of mind will be crucial this week for Craig, who said her interest in course design helps her mental state during play.

“I’ve actually been taught with my mental coach to distract myself between shots, so I can use that to take time to take in the course,” Craig said. “But I think I’ll mainly look at the features during my practice round and then in the tournament I might be more in tournament mode and talk to my caddie more than looking around. But yeah, once I’m over the ball I definitely zone everything out and hit it as good as I can.”

Craig will join the Epson Tour – the main qualifying tour for the LPGA – after her college career ends in June. She plans to play 14 tournaments on the Epson Tour, crisscrossing the country – often with her mom, who will caddie along with hopefully her sister and other friends and family – as she works toward earning her LPGA Tour card.

That’s still down the road – this week, Craig intends to take in the whole experience this opportunity to play at Augusta National offers.

“They’re providing everything us – the hotel and travel, there’s concerts and there’s dinners every night and there’s activities to do and people to meet. I have a lot of friends who are going to be in it, so I think just soaking in all of the almost outside of golf things will be really fun. And of course, seeing the golf course and being able to touch it and play on it – see how the pros play it and I get to try. That will be special.”

The first and second rounds of the Augusta National Women’s Am will be broadcast live on Golf Channel (12:30-2:30 p.m. CT) from Champions Retreat Golf Club. NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours (11 a.m.-2 p.m. CT) of live final-round coverage of the event at Augusta National. Additionally, Golf Channel’s “Live From the Masters” will commence on Friday at Augusta National to provide coverage of the Augusta National Women’s Am.