Auburn’s Megan Schofill returns to Augusta National as player to watch

The Robert Cox trophy, one of the oldest and most beautiful trophies in all of golf, doesn’t travel well. Megan Schofill buckled it up in her car to take it home over Christmas break. She’ll take it back in May after she leaves Auburn so that her home club, Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville, Georgia, can enjoy it for a few months before this year’s edition of the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Auburn went all out to celebrate Schofill’s achievement, honoring her on the field during a football game, on the court during a basketball game and with a dinner at the university president’s house attended by 200 supporters. The athletic director, John Cohen, even had a painting made for the fifth-year senior who became the first Tiger to win the title at Bel-Air Country Club.

It took Schofill six appearances at the Women’s Amateur before she won it all. Next week, when the 22-year-old tees it up at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, she’ll be a different player than she was last spring.

“I proved to myself that I’m capable of a lot more than I really knew,” said Schofill, who tied for 14th last year after carding a 4-under 32 on the front nine at Augusta National (her back nine).

Painting commissioned by Auburn athletic director John Cohen. (courtesy photo)

The Augusta National Women’s Amateur trophy was designed in collaboration with Tiffany & Co. The bowl, spun from sterling silver and a 24K yellow gold vermeil, features the namesake flowers of each hole at Augusta National. The wooden base is made from a Magnolia tree.

While the original trophy remains at Augusta National year-round, each winner receives a replica trophy, similar to what’s done for the Masters Tournament.

It, too, would look like nice buckled up in Schofill’s front seat.

At this year’s ANWA, Schofill’s boyfriend, C.J. Easley, will be her on bag April 3-6 for the fifth edition of event. Easley is a senior on the Ole Miss golf team, and the couple have been dating for four years. Schofill relied on Easley’s laid-back demeanor inside the ropes at the Women’s Am.

“The only thing I had to do was get up and hit the shot,” she said of that week in Bel-Air.

Megan Schofill smiles alongside her caddie and boyfriend CJ Easley after hitting her tee shot on hole 16 during the final round of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif. on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023. (Photo: James Gilbert/USGA)

Easley has also attended a number of…