Maria Jose Marin of Colombia reacts to her birdie on the ninth green at Champions Retreat.
Irish golfer Beth Coulter commenced her campaign at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur with a respectable one-under 71 at Champions Retreat. This performance places her six strokes behind the leaders and comfortably within the projected cut line. The 22-year-old from Co Down is currently tied for 23rd position.
Leading the field after the first round are University of Arkansas junior Maria Jose Marin and 17-year-old Korean prodigy Soomin Oh. Both golfers delivered flawless, bogey-free rounds of seven-under 65 on Wednesday, securing a shared lead at this year’s prestigious tournament. They hold a one-stroke advantage over three other players who finished with six-under 66s.
Maria Jose Marin, ranked No. 7 among amateur golfers globally, showcased an impressive performance. Starting on the back nine, she quickly recorded birdies on the 12th and 15th holes, followed by a remarkable run of three consecutive birdies on the 18th, 1st, and 2nd. After a series of pars, Marin closed her round with two more birdies, setting a strong pace. This marks Marin’s fourth appearance at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, with her best prior finish being T-14 in 2023. She recently shared medalist honors at the Clemson Invitational, reflecting her strong form this season which includes a win and nine top-10 finishes for Arkansas.
Reflecting on her journey, Marin expressed the significance of the tournament: “Last year was a lot of learning, a lot of tears. Not making the cut hurt a lot, but I learned patience and to trust my game.” She added that her strong start “gives me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow,” emphasizing that “my game is in a good spot, that I’m doing the right things.”
Soomin Oh, the world’s No. 10 amateur, also had a spectacular start. She birdied five of her first nine holes, including three consecutive birdies on the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Two additional birdies on the 14th and 18th in the late afternoon solidified her share of the lead with Marin. Oh has a history of strong finishes this year, including runner-up positions at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, Chinese Taipei Women’s Amateur, and the Ladies European Tour’s Women’s New South Wales Open. She had missed the cut in her debut at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Oh credited her success to her driving and putting. “I love the course because all of the par 5s I can hit it on in 2 and it’s easier to make the birdies,” she stated. Her strategy moving forward is to manage expectations: “I’m trying not to set expectations on myself, not be greedy, and just relax and focus on one shot at a time.”
