Mississippi State junior Avery Weed’s return to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur this spring has done more than elevate her national profile. She’s finally settling a long-running family rivalry.

In a house once split between MSU and the University of Mississippi, there is no more debate. The Ocean Springs native has tied the choice together in a maroon and white bow.

“My grandfather played golf at Ole Miss, my mom went there, but I’m pretty sure my dad had it in his marriage contract that we would be Mississippi State fans,” Weed said with a laugh.

As Weed has risen to No. 3 in the NCAA rankings and become one of the nation’s elite collegiate golfers, even her Ole Miss family members have softened into full-fledged Mississippi State support. Now, she returns to one of golf’s grandest stages representing the Bulldogs for the second consecutive year.

April 1-4, Weed will compete in the Augusta National, one of the most prestigious events in women’s amateur golf. With only 72 players invited from around the world, the tournament features two rounds of stroke play, after which the top 30 advance to the championship round at Augusta National Golf Club.

A testament both to Weed’s consistency and to the MSU golf program’s rising national profile, this marks the fourth consecutive year Mississippi State has had a representative in the field. Last year, as a sophomore, Weed said the invitation alone felt surreal.

“I was just excited to be there,” Weed said. “To get invited was an incredible honor. If you had told me maybe six months before that I was going to get invited, I wouldn’t have believed you. But I had a really good fall, and it allowed me to move my ranking up.”

Growing up in a country club, Weed knew she would eventually pick up golf. When she finally did at 8 years old, she was an instant natural and walking the green of one of the most illustrious courses was exactly like she envisioned Augusta would be.

“Getting to play that golf course was a dream come true,” she said. “That’s what every golfer hopes to do one day.”

But this year with ANWA, she is teeing off with a different mindset.

“Last year I was just grateful to be there, and everything was really new,” she said. “But this year I’ll be familiar with the course and how the tournament works. I’ll be a lot more focused on attacking the course and going out there and playing well.”

With calm, deliberate focus, she closed this past fall season with 18 career rounds in the 60s, moving her into third place in MSU program history. She has captured individual titles at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Ally and Mason Rudolph Championship at Old Waverly in West Point, proving she can win against some of the deepest collegiate fields.

“Everybody is so good at this level,” Weed said. “If you have a bad hole and you can’t get over it, you can drop far in the rankings. For me, I have to not let a big moment like this get in the way. I’m going to focus on what I do well and treat this like any other golf tournament.”

Augusta was always the goal. Now, with the MSU emblem stitched across her chest, the moment carries an entirely new meaning.

“I want to leave this golf program better than I found it,” Weed said. “I think I’ve done a good job with that.

“Mississippi State is always where I wanted to play golf, and it has lived up to all of my expectations,” she continued. “My teammates and coaches are all amazing. Our facilities are amazing. They are actually underappreciated. Every time we have players compete here, they are always impressed with what we have.”

ANWA will broadcast on Golf Channel 12:30-2:30 p.m. and NBC Sports broadcasts the live final-round coverage 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.