On a day where the No. 1 ranked player in the world won her fourth major title, the top ranked amateur in the world won a highly competitive race for low amateur.
Kiara Romero from San Jose, who plays her college golf at Oregon, won by one stroke over Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Maria José Marin thanks to a couple of late birdies.
Romero came into the day even par, but saved her best for last, making five birdies with just two bogeys on her way to a -3 68. Playing in some of the toughest conditions of the week, she made birdies on 16 and 18, and while Marin gave her a good run, it wasn’t enough.
“I feel like I definitely felt a little bit of everything. A little bit nervous, a little excited. But I just tried to stay very present in the moment and just try to be as calm as I could and try not to look at the leaderboard too much even though I kind of knew where I was at going into the day,” said Romero.
Romero didn’t just finish as the low amateur, she finished sixth place, which gives her an exemption into this event next year as well.
Romero is now up to 16 LEAP points on her path to the LPGA Tour, she will receive two more for playing in this week’s Curtis Cup, bringing her to 18. 20 gives her automatic membership to the LPGA Tour, and there is a good chance she will qualify sometime this year.
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