Garvey has spent the better part of eight months waiting at her home in Christchurch for the phone call to confirm her place in the field. She returned to New Zealand from America, where she attends college, back in March.
She says it was an exciting phone call to get.
"It feels unreal.
"The last couple of months have been really nerve-wracking as I've been on the bubble to sneak into the field on an exemption. It's been a nervous wait but I'm so glad that I've been able to sneak my way in."
Garvey who attends the University of Southern California, has been on the cusp of playing in a major championship for some time, and each time she has pulled up just short.
Last year, she was six-under par after 36 holes of qualifying for the US Open and missed her spot in the field by a single stroke.
She also finished runner-up at the 2019 Amateur Championship where a victory would have earned her a spot in the AIG Women's Open, the US Open and the Evian Championship.
Garvey says it's a special feeling having a major on her schedule at last.
"To miss out on a place in a major by a spot again would not have been fun.
"This has been a goal of mine for a little while. I've had a few close calls where I've missed out on invites to a few majors so it's really nice to finally have one on the schedule."
The Cantabrian has been honing her game at home in preparation for December. She says despite having limited golf this year, there are still plenty of ways she can prepare.
"I sat down with my whole team and looked at the time I had in New Zealand and we said that even though we don't have competitions I can still use this time to prepare for my future ahead and making the most of what we have in New Zealand.
"I'm excited that my first major is going to be my first tournament back as we get back into the swing of things.
"I want to play in these events, but I also want to be winning them as well. I'm not just after invites or be a field-filler, I want to make a statement and really compete with these girls."
Until then, she needs to navigate her way through her final exams next week and complete her communications major.
To prepare she will fly across the ditch to spend some time with 3D bio mechanist Ryan Lumsden in Adelaide, before heading back over to the States.
After the US Open, she will graduate in May and golf will once again be her main focus as she looks to turn professional at the end of 2021.
The last New Zealander to play in a major championship alongside Ko was Liv Cheng in 2016.
