Wednesday, 22 January 2020:

Australia's reigning US Women's Amateur champion Gabi Ruffels has become the first high-profile golfer to decline an invitation to play the Augusta National Women's Amateur in April.

Ruffels, the younger sister of professional golfer Ryan Ruffels, qualified for the Augusta event which precedes the Masters when she became the first Australian to win the US Women's Amateur Championship last year.

But the Augusta event runs against the first professional women's major of the year - the ANA Inspiration - and Ruffels has decided the tee up in that event in California April 2-5.

Six other golfers who are automatically exempt to the 72-player Augusta event have not yet committed.

"Yeah it was a really tough decision, but I think we all decided ANA would be the best," Ruffels told AAP on Tuesday.

"I'm only getting the ANA start because I won the US Women's Amateur and it's a rare opportunity; they don't give out exemptions to anyone at majors."

The inaugural edition of the 54-hole Augusta Women's event was held last year but faced heavy criticism for being scheduled against the ANA Inspiration.

Augusta National's reasoning was that it wanted their women's event to lead directly into Masters week, the first men's major of the year.

But Australian seven-time major winner Karrie Webb hit out at Augusta forcing amateurs to choose between two significant starts.

Four amateurs eligible to play at Augusta last year declined in favour of the ANA.

"Why put them with such a (tough) decision?" Webb posted on social media when the event was announced in 2018.

Grace Kim, from NSW, is the only Australian invited to the Augusta event.

Ruffels, a college star at the University of Southern California, is excited to play in four of the five women's majors based on her 2019 US Women's Amateur title.

"I'm really looking forward to testing myself at the ANA and the other majors," Ruffels said.

"My parents live close to (ANA host) Mission Hills CC and it will feel like a home event.

"It would be awesome to do as well as I can and make the cut in all of the majors I play in."

World amateur No.19 Ruffels, however, has backed herself to keep a high world ranking and be invited to the 2021 Augusta event.

"I know if I keep playing well and my ranking is good, I can still play Augusta," she said.

"I want to stay an amateur for two more years and get my college degree."

Ruffels is the daughter of former tennis stars Ray Ruffels and Anna-Maria Fernandez.

She took up golf as a 15-year-old after tiring of an elite junior tennis career.

AAP