Hannah Darling left Georgia feeling “really proud” despite missing the cut in her fourth and final appearance in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, confirming that a switch to the professional ranks is on the cards later this year. Twelve months after finishing seventh behind England’s Lottie Woad, the 21-year-old Scot had to be content with a spectating role for this year’s final round at Augusta National on Saturday following her missed cut on the back of rounds of 75 and 72 at Champions Retreat earlier in the week. “Obviously walking around there today, I was a little bit gutted not to be playing,” admitted Darling, speaking to The Scotsman under the giant oak tree outside the clubhouse, after watching her University of South Carolina team-mate Eila Galitsky storm up the leaderboard on the back of a closing 66 to finish joint-fourth behind Spanish winner Carla Bernat Escuder. “But it is still special to be able to say that I was part of this event again and it’s certainly cool to have played in four of them, I have to say, as not many people have done that.” Darling made history along with Louise Duncan as they became the first Scots to compete in the tournament in 2022, with the Broomieknowe player then flying the Saltire on her own in the last three editions. “Unfortunately, I made it hard for myself after round one this week,” she said of finding herself 12 shots off the pace at that stage in the battle to be among the top 30 and ties after 36 holes. “But, overall, I played very well and just didn’t get the putts to drop when I needed them to but that’s golf,” she added. “I feel really proud and grateful to be back playing in this event.” Darling, who became a Curtis Cup winner at the third attempt as part of a triumphant Great Britain & Ireland side at Sunningdale last summer, will now turn her attention to the final weeks of her college career with the Gamecocks. “So we have post-season, which starts at conference level with SECs and then we have Regionals and Nationals and we are looking to play pretty well and hopefully bring a couple of trophies back as a team,” said the Scottish No 1. “The past four years have gone very fast but, at the same time, it’s been a long journey in a way. I have learned a lot and that has been really good for me, giving me a different perspective now that I am graduating and then moving on to professional golf. “Including my second win (in the Annika Intercollegiate last September), it has been a big year for me and there are a lot of positives to take from it and a lot of good golf, so hopefully I have built up some momentum.” Though not ruling out the possibility that she might have to start her professional career on the Ladies European Tour, Darling has her sights set on securing her LPGA Tour card through the circuit’s Qualifying Series later this year. “It will definitely happen at some point this year,” she said of an impending switch to the paid ranks. “I will play the Women’s British Amateur at Nairn in June and then keep an eye on things as it really depends on certain cut-offs for exemptions into events. “There is definitely a right time to do it and, as Lorna McClymont (one of her team-mates in last year’s Curtis Cup and off to a strong start to her professional career) is showing, being able to start out on the front foot is definitely important.”