The Karrie Webb Series, where the nation’s top amateurs vie for the seven-time major champion’s scholarship, is proving to be a nail-biter.

Two scholarships are up for grabs with one spot given to a player who has performed outstandingly in the Karrie Webb Series, while the other goes to the highest ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings at the cut-off date of April 7.

Those requirements mean that the Australian Amateur and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur which are both being staged this week will be crucial in determining the two recipients.

Golf Australia Order of Merit leader Caitlin Peirce is currently leading the Karrie Webb series points standings with Keeley Marx, Kelsey Bennett and Belinda Ji nipping at her heels and a good showing at Cranbourne Golf Club this week will be pivotal for all of them.

At Augusta National, Kirsten Rudgeley’s (world no. 44) and Emily Mahar’s (world no. 45) performances will be vital to their scholarship hopes - provided they remain amateurs.

Stacey Peters, Golf Australia’s female pathway manager - high performance, is delighted that Australian amateur golf is boasting such an array of talent at the moment that the scholarship spots are hotly contested.

“It is brilliant to see so many girls putting their names forward for the Karrie Webb scholarship. The talent in the female amateur ranks in Australia is really strong and the two players who receive this scholarship will only blossom further from getting to know Karrie better,” Peters said.

“Minjee Lee and Hannah Green have obviously gone on to be major champions after receiving this scholarship and they really grew from having the opportunity to play in the northern hemisphere during their summer and be mentored by Karrie.

“We’re also seeing the likes of Su Oh, Karis Davidson, Whitney Hillier and Grace Kim play some great golf across the world’s major tours and this scholarship gave them a massive boost in their journeys.”

For the scholarship based on performances in the Karrie Webb series, players must play in a minimum of six events to be eligible and each player's best six events count to the points tally.

Webb herself selects the recipients following recommendations from national selectors after the completion of the Karrie Webb Series and before a northern hemisphere summer trip.

The two recipients receive scholarships to the value of $10,000, which is funded by Webb, to be spent on international travel, playing experiences in the northern hemisphere and additional development opportunities.

Past recipients have visited Webb at an LPGA event, trained with her during that visit and played practice rounds with her.

Find out more about the Karrie Webb scholarship here.