Columbia’s María José Marín wins the Women’s Amateur Latin American Championship but it wasn’t an easy victory to come by.
“I was under pressure and I was really, really nervous. I’ve been nervous before but this time was one of most nervous I’ve ever been because you can see the prizes that the champion gets. I tried to stay calm and breathe through it but it was really hard.” María José Marín on the play-off
Marín, age 19, surrendered a four-stroke lead over the last four holes of regulation play before the match went to a play-off against Barbados’ Emily Odwin, aged 21.
The championship, presented by The R&A and the ANNIKA Foundation, took place at PGA Riviera Maya, Tulum in Mexico and the final day of play became a head-to-head Sunday showdown between Marín and Odwin. Marin was the overnight leader coming into the final but she bogeyed the 1st and Odwin capitalised with a birdie, setting the tone for the battle that was about to ensue.
Odwin , who made history this year by becoming the first golfer from Barbados to qualify for a major by earning her place in the US Women’s Open ,dropped a shot at the 7th as they stood on the 9th tee tied at seven-under.
Odwin faltered when she found the trees on the short dog-leg par-4, leading to a double bogey. It proved even more costly as Marín brilliantly struck her 97-yard approach past the flag before the ball spun back into the hole, sparking a gleeful jump for joy on the fairway.
The four-shot swing gave Marín a cushion and despite a bogey on the 10th, the semi-finalist at last year’s US Women’s Amateur birdied the 13th to restore her four-shot advantage. But Odwin, a Senior at Southern Methodist University and ranked 134th on WAGR®, refused to give up and she birdied the par-3 15th.
When Marín failed to get up and down from the back of the 17th to make bogey, there was only two strokes in it. Odwin then made a brilliant birdie on the last from six feet and Marín bogeyed after pulling her tee shot behind a tree as they went into overtime.
Odwin, making her fifth and final appearance in the championship ahead of turning pro after graduation, had a glorious chance for victory at the first extra hole after both players found the back bunker on the 18th but she missed from five feet as they both bogeyed. At the second playing of the 18th in extra time, Odwin this time holed from six feet for par to keep her hopes alive.
But she was left dejected when she caught a bunker to the right of the 10th fairway with her tee shot and a watery approach followed. Odwin’s approach shot from a bunker into the water on the 10th, the third extra hole, proved her undoing as Marín made a victorious par before her Colombian team-mates rushed on to congratulate her.
“María is a phenomenal player and I knew it was going to take something special out there to make it happen. I really gave it my all, left everything out there. María really deserves it and I’m excited to see what she does going forward. She is going to have a long and great career.
“The R&A and the ANNIKA Foundation do such a great job with this event. Honestly, I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to play in it for five years. It’s been an honour.” Emily Odwin on María José Marín’s win and the event itself
It is third-time lucky for Marin having had runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2022 at this Championship presented by the R&A and the ANNIKA Foundation and she becomes the second Colombian to lift the title after Valery Plata’s win four years ago.
“Third time’s the charm for me in this championship. I think that was in my head all day today! Being back after two years and breaking the curse of coming short, I’m really grateful and so happy.
“It was an amazing week on the golf course, I completely loved it. PGA Riviera Maya is an amazing course and I’m really grateful that we got to play here. I’m just really happy that it turned out in my favour. Maybe it was God’s will, I don’t know, but I’m really happy.” María José Marín on her win.
Colombian Luana Valero finished in third place on two-under 286, the same mark as Ameila Ruiz Topali from Chile. Krishny Elwin from Puerto Rico was fifth on level par 288. Defending champion Clarisa Temelo from Mexico tied 10th on eight-over.
By virtue of her success, Marin will now play in three major championships after earning exemptions into the AIG Women’s Open, The Chevron Championship and The Amundi Evian Championship in 2026. The top three players from this event – Marín, Odwin and Colombian Luana Valero – also secured an exemption into The Women’s Amateur Championship next year at Muirfield, with the victor sealing a spot at the South American Amateur Championship in 2026.
This week’s fifth staging of the WALA at the renowned venue, host to the Tulum Championship at PGA Riviera Maya on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas, featured its strongest ever field with 60 players representing 14 countries. The week was also enhanced for players and spectators alike with the presence of Annika Sörenstam and Mexican legend Lorena Ochoa.
For more information and the final round leaderboard, please visit walagolf.com
