With the Augusta National Women’s Amateur kicking off this weekend, let’s take a look at some more of the competitors this week:
Maria José Marin
Maria José Marin is an 18-year-old from Colombia who plays her college golf for Arkansas. She is a two-time South American Women’s Amateur Champion who also finished top 20 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in 2024. She is currently ranked No. 6 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).
Soomin Oh
Soomin Oh could be one of the next in a prestigious line of elite women’s golfers from South Korea. Oh is only 16-years-old but is ranked No. 7 in the WAGR. Oh has won the Korean Girls’ Junior and Korean Women’s Amateur already and placed third in the Women’s Amatuer Asia-Pacific.
Kiara Romero
Kiara Romero is the No. 8 ranked player in WAGR and is originally from San Jose, California. The 19-year-old was the winner of the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior. In her short time at Oregon, she has already earned All-American honors and has four runner-up finishes already this season.
Louise Rydqvist
Rydqvist is a name that passionate fans of the LPGA may recognize, as she made the cut in last year’s Open Championship and has made the cut twice in The Annika. The 23-year-old Swede is a figure we may see full time soon and was the winner of the 2024 European Ladies’ Amateur.
Paula Martín Sampedro
Sampedro, as a freshman, might have been the best performer for Stanford, not only an elite women’s golf program but also the national champions. She was first team All American in her freshman year and has two individual college wins on her resumé already. She could follow in Rose Zhang’s footsteps as a winner of this championship from Stanford.
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